Question

In Mediterranean climate regions like portions of California, a wetter than normal winter often leads to greater severity of fires the following summer. This seeming paradox occurs because increased rain leads to _____________.A. a greater accumulation of chapparal biomassB. higher pollination rates of annual flowersC. greater recreational use of parklandsD. greater erosion and damage of access roadsE. decreased summer rainfall

Answer 1

A greater accumulation of chaparral biomass

Step-by-step explanation:

In its natural state, chaparral is characterized by infrequent fires, with intervals ranging between 30-50+ years. The fires are high intensity and stand-replacing. Recent human activity has increased fire frequency. The shoots of the Chaparral plants do not have thick bark, therefore, they are not very resistant; however, the vegetative recovery is resilient (with long fire-free periods) because its regeneration is rapid from dormant seed banks and root-crowns.