Chaparral: California's Unknown Wilderness

There's a special place in Southern California that most do not know exists. It's time to get introduced. Surprising to many, this unknown land was once the favored home of the California grizzly bear. Its old-growth forms represent one of the state's most priceless natural treasures. When John Muir discovered its beauty he wrote '…in the very heart of this thorny wilderness, down in the dells, you may find gardens filled with the fairest flowers, that any child would love.'

What is this place of such stunning beauty? It's called the chaparral, where California will find its best and perhaps last chance to reclaim its wildness and preserve the quality of life made possible by the region's natural, open space. Of all the distinct, natural communities found throughout California, chaparral is the only one that can be said to represent the state's most characteristic wilderness. Over 71% of the San Gabriel Mountains are composed of chaparral and related shrublands.

Yet despite its importance, chaparral is terribly misunderstood and under appreciated. Consequently chaparral, which provides our best and closest opportunity to touch nature, is viewed as something unknown, unimportant, and because of recent wildfires, dangerous and in need of removal. The pejorative description of chaparral used in local area news stories and reports reflects this perspective.

Old-growth chaparral stands are referred to as 'decadent' or 'scrubinvested savannas.' The elimination of 'chaparral-choked areas' is a goal of the so-called Healthy Forests Restoration Act. The Los Angeles County Fire Plan erroneously states that, 'Without fire, chaparral-covered terrain reaches an unhealthy state,' becoming 'unbalanced.'

As our landscape is being misrepresented and condemned, we need to come to its defense. It is time to begin a public dialogue concerning how much natural, Southern California heritage we want remaining 100 years from now. Is the wildfire problem really about native shrubs or poor land planning?

To answer these questions it is important to understand the truth about chaparral.

Old-growth chaparral in excess of 100 years old is not trash. It remains a productive, dynamic ecosystem. There is no scientific evidence to support the notion that native shrublands have become 'decadent' or unhealthy due to overgrowth. In fact, seeds of many chaparral plants actually require 30 years or more worth of accumulated leaf litter before they will successfully germinate.

The idea that 'chaparral-choked areas' are responsible for causing large fires is related to one of the most repeated misconceptions regarding the system: past fire suppression efforts have allowed an 'unnatural' accumulation of brush. This belief is based on the misapplication of studies relating to dry ponderosa pine forests that have nothing to do with California shrublands.

Shrubs grow. It is a natural process. Those that die are replaced by others. Fire suppression is not responsible for this pattern. Despite heroic efforts by firefighters, fires have not been excluded in the chaparral of Southern California. Driven by Santa Ana winds, uncontrollable wildfires have consumed about the same acreage every decade for the past 100 years. In fact, if it had not been for the region's firefighters, much of our chaparral would have been type-converted to desolate patches of non-native weeds due to the negative impacts of increased fire frequencies.

The continued existence of chaparral depends on all of us spreading the truth about its beautiful complexity. If you enjoy hiking, mountain biking, or if you are just staring out into pure native California, it is essential to learn about chaparral.

Join me on Wednesday, September 27th at a meeting of the Sierra Club's Forest Committee for a talk on 'Secrets of the Chaparral: Wildfire and Our Local Mountains.' The program begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center in Pasadena.

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Richard has taught wilderness values for more than 30 years, conducts research and educational programs through the California Chaparral Field Institute and has been trained as a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service. His recent book is Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California.