In lands where the climate is too hot and dry for larger plants and trees to grow, shrubs (woody plants that are shorter than most trees) and bushes are found instead. This is called scrub. Many scrubland plants are covered in thorns to stop animals eating them. Scrubland is found in semi-deserts. These are very dry lands, but have just enough rain to allow plants to grow. Scrubland is also found in regions that have Mediterranean climates: long, dry summers and short, wet winters.

In Mediterranean lands, sheep and goats graze on the low plants. Eagles and buzzards soar overhead while lizards scurry along the ground. In the chaparral of California, covered by sagebrush and buckwheat, birds called roadrunners chase their prey along the ground. Mammals include peccaries, ground squirrels and kangaroo rats.

Wildfires

Most areas of scrubland have natural wildfires. These help stop the shrubs from growing into spindly trees. The ash from the fires also makes the soil more fertile. Scrubland plants can easily survive fire. They regrow from an underground stem even when the whole plant above ground has been burnt.