NO. 3 DUXKLE : PLANT ECOLOGY, CHANNEL ISLANDS 269 



Santa Barbara Island was thus chosen for Instrumental reasearch, 

 partly because it is centrally located among the Channel Islands, and 

 partly because of its small size. The central location of the island can 

 be most graphically visualized on certain clear, late afternoons, when, 

 from its high central ridge, a magnificent spectacle is presented by the 

 encircling islands. Ever\' island of the entire group can be seen, except 

 San Miguel which is hidden behind Santa Rosa. It is only from this 

 vantage point that the true character of this widespread archipelago can 

 be realized. From Santa Barbara the nearest land, which is the north- 

 western point of Santa Catalina, is 24.0 miles directly east. San Nicolas 

 bears 36° east of south and is 27.5 miles distant. San Clemente lies 

 39.0 miles bearing 40° east of south, while Anacapa is 41.0 miles in 

 the opposite direction, bearing 40° west of north. Santa Barbara, more- 

 over, is almost equidistant from the coast near the western end of the 

 Santa Monica Mountains and from Point Vicente, both points lying 

 at an approximate distance of 40.0 miles. 



The small size of Santa Barbara permitted the instrument stations 

 to be located on all of the principal exposures in such a manner that all 

 the stations could be visited within the twelve-hour period available 

 on a w^eek-end trip. Although the small size of the island does not 

 provide a wide range of habitats, certain advantages are presented by 

 the fact it is uninhabited and has no large grazing animals. Further- 

 more, as part of the Channel Islands National Monument, it is not 

 liable to disturbance, and the future course of natural succession can 

 be followed. 



TOPOGR-APHY 



Santa Barbara Island is roughly triangular in outline with a central, 

 saddle-shaped ridge running approximately north and south, and wide 

 terraces to east and west. The area of the island is slightly less than a 

 square mile, 638 acres. The eastern terrace is about one and one-half 

 miles in length, sloping from about 139 meters (450 feet) to 47 meters 

 (150 feet) at the break of the eastern bluffs. The western terrace is 

 shorter, with a slope from about 123 meters (400 feet) to 61.5 meters 

 (200 feet) at the western break. To the WTSt of this terrace there is a 

 small terrace with an average elevation of about 47 meters (150 feet), 

 extending to the northwestern tip of the island. 



The central ridge culminates in a peak on the southwestern coast 

 which has an elevation of 200 meters (635 feet), and another peak 

 with an elevation of 172 meters (562 feet) on the northwestern coast. 



