The characteristic look of California Chaparral - a soft bluish-green blanket of vegetation gently covering the hills - is known to millions who have seen it as the backdrop in movies and television productions. This book shows how this complex ecological community of plants and animals is a quintessential part of the entire California landscape.

This book will introduce general readers to the plants and animals associated with chaparral and review for biologists and land managers its natural history, ecology, and management challenges.