Biome: Shrub Land By: Diana Ramirez Uriel Lucero Jesus Lopez

Shrub lands usually get more rain than deserts and grasslands but less than forested areas. Shrub lands typically receive between 200 to 1,000 millimeters of rain a year. This rain is unpredictable, varying from month to month. The shrub lands are made up of shrubs or short trees. Many shrubs thrive on steep, rocky slopes. There is usually not enough rain to support tall trees. Shrub lands are usually fairly open so grasses and other short plants grow between the shrubs. SHRUB LAND KEY FEATURES

HUMAN BENEFITS Humans can and have used shrubs as resources such as for: Medicine Food Beverages

Recent Changes in Shrub Lands Shrub lands usually get more rain than deserts and grasslands but less than forested areas, but nowadays their rain fall is unpredictable varying from 200 to 1,000 millimeters Due to many years of little rainfall plants adapted to drought- like condition Many plants have needle-like leaves to help conserve water like cactuses Also several plants have developed fire-resistant adaptations to survive the frequent fires that occur during the dry season.

Species diversity The shrubland biome has a large variety of plants and animals There are many different types shrubs, weeds, trees, and grasses Compared to other biomes, shrublands have high diversity because it has subspecies like it has types of shrubs, types of grasses, and other plants and animals

Height: With flower stalk, up to 30 feet in southern areas. Up to10 feet in northern areas. Trunk: Usually up to 6-8 inches diameter, to about 6 feet tall; covered with dead leaves, sometimes branched Leaves: About 30 inches, narrow, straight, U-shaped, pointed tip, dark green. Live leaves clustered at the ends of the stems, dead leaves stay attached for years and cover the trunks Elevation: 1,500 to 6,000 ft PLANTS IN SHRUB LANDS: PLANTS IN SHRUB LANDS: YUCCA ELATA

Height: Stems are about 1 ft, but mounds grow up to about 18 inches Trunk: None Leaves: None (small spines) Flowers: big, red/pink flowers; bloom in late spring or early summer Elevation: Up to 8,000 ft. PLANTS IN SHRUB LANDS: PLANTS IN SHRUB LANDS: ECHINOCEREUS ENGELMANNII

Height: Can grow up to 25 feet. Trunk: 1ft. diameter. Short, single noticeable trunk, branching close to ground Branches: Upright to spreading; not drooping. Branchlets 3-dimensional (not flattened) Elevation: 4,000 to 8,500 feet PLANTS IN SHRUB LANDS: PLANTS IN SHRUB LANDS: JUNIPERUS OSTEOSPERMA

Animals in Shrub Lands Animals in Shrub Lands: Botaurus lentiginosus Occupy a range of freshwater wetlands that have emergent vegetation. Their nests are occasionally found in hayfields at some distance from water. Camouflages in its environment of reeds, water, mud,light and reflections. Most active between dusk and midnight. They’re striped.

Bobcats occupy wooded habitats that provide cover for catching prey. They mostly prey on lagomorphs. They have “bobbed” tails. They have long legs, large paws and tufted ears. They are trapped for their soft, spotted fur. Animals in Shrub Lands Animals in Shrub Lands: Felis rufus

Timber rattlesnakes spend the winter in a communal den. They are a sit-and-wait predator that prey on small mammals and birds. They are thick bodied. Their base color can be yellow, gray, tan or brown. The top of the head is gray, light tan or yellow and their tail is black. Animals in Shrub Lands Animals in Shrub Lands: Crotalus horridus

Climate Temperature: Hot and dry in the summer, but cool and moist in the winter. Precipitation: 200 to 1,000mm of rain per year.

WORKS CITED route-8/ route-8/

WORKS CITED CONTINUED… pine_shrubland.shtml pine_shrubland.shtml globalchange.umich.edu