chaparral

views updated Jun 11 2018

chaparral A type of stunted (scrub) woodland found in temperate regions with little summer rainfall. It is dominated by drought-resistant evergreen shrubs, forming dense thickets, interspersed with dwarfed trees, such as oaks and eucalyptus. It is the typical vegetation found in the western United States and the Mediterranean region (where it is called maquis).