To: Bluedot Living
From: Alison Petro, The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County
Subject: Santa Barbara County — A Hotspot for Biodiversity
When people think of Santa Barbara County, picturesque mountains, endless blue ocean, rolling oak woodlands, vineyards, and Spanish architecture tend to come to mind. Some people might even call this region paradise, and you are never far from a California Dreamin’ reference. However, did you know that California, including the Central Coast, is one of thirty-six biodiversity hotspots on Earth?
Covering less than 2.5 percent of the planet’s land surface, biodiversity hotspots support a wide range of life while facing rapid, significant loss of native vegetation. Part of what is known as the California Floristic Province, Santa Barbara County features a rich spectrum of flora, fauna, and interconnected ecosystems and microclimates that are unique and powerful sources of life on this little blue planet and critically threatened by a loss of at least 70 percent of its original natural vegetation.
Santa Barbara County occupies a special place on the California coastline — and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County works with community groups, local farmers and ranchers, and others to protect what makes this place special.
Easily recognizable on a map, Santa Barbara County lies where the coastline makes a sharp turn to the east at Point Conception, marking the transition between central and southern California. Ecologically, this geography creates a highly diverse region where the ranges of many species overlap. The Santa Ynez Mountains, which are one of the few transverse mountain ranges — that is, running east-west rather than the typical north-south — form the boundary between the range of many southern California and desert species and the southern end of the range of more northern species, creating a beautiful, diverse mosaic of landscapes and habitat types. Just off the coast, the southern and northern ocean currents meet at Point Conception, creating a nutrient-rich upwelling that creates an incredible abundance and diversity of marine life.
These microclimates create a richness of life from harsh chaparral-covered mountain sides to isolated high-elevation islands of fir and pine forest, and from rolling grasslands and oak woodlands rich with wildflowers to lush ferns beneath tan oak and bay laurel forest on sheltered, north-facing slopes near the coast.
The Mediterranean climate here creates warm, dry summers and cool wet winters. But traveling across the county from west to east or north to south, you can move seasons in a single day — from the cool, foggy coastline to the searing heat of the inland valleys. These microclimates create a richness of life from harsh chaparral-covered mountain sides to isolated high-elevation islands of fir and pine forest, and from rolling grasslands and oak woodlands rich with wildflowers to lush ferns beneath tan oak and bay laurel forest on sheltered, north-facing slopes near the coast.
Drought, wildfire, and mudslides are all characteristics of our hardy climate, but with climate change, the impacts of these events have become more intense. Conserving and restoring lands, as the Land Trust does, helps retain agricultural, recreational, and habitat values while shielding residential communities from natural disasters and ensuring that high carbon-storing land — such as wetlands, rangelands, and forests — continues to hold and remove carbon from the atmosphere.
While we are fortunate to have the rugged expanses of Los Padres National Forest close to our doorstep, many of the most sensitive species in our county occur largely on private lands. From aquatic habitat for tiny California tiger salamanders to protecting wildlife corridors for larger species like bear, deer, and mountain lions, conservation easements in partnership with willing landowners play a huge role in protecting our region’s biodiversity.
To date, the Land Trust has conserved more than 31,000 acres of important habitat and open space, farmland, ranch land and land for public recreation, and we believe the stage is set for a huge expansion of newly protected lands in our region. Within our communities there is a shared sense of urgency to ensure the county’s special landscapes and the agricultural lands we depend on are safe and resilient in the face of climate change. The lands we conserve are protected in perpetuity so that the amazing natural resources of this county are protected for present and future generations.
Learn more about the Land Trust and its ongoing events at sblandtrust.org.
