Los Angeles is the only major city in the world whose population is nearly evenly divided by a mountain range. Its still rising peaks can be seen through the front windows of Cal State Northridge's Oviatt Library.

A new exhibition in the library's lobby explores the diversity of plants and animals sustained by the multiple ecosystems that make up the Santa Monica Mountains. "Santa Monica Mountains: A Jewel Within" continues through Thurs., Sept. 28.

"I hope that visitors to the exhibition become aware and appreciate the wonderful resource we have in our own backyard," said Dean Arnold, one of the curators of the exhibition. "People don't realize that there are year-round streams with waterfalls which are wonderful places to go for reflection and to center ourselves in our hectic lives, all right in the middle of Los Angeles."

Arnold pointed out that the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, established by Congress in 1978, is the largest urban park in the U. S. It extends from Griffith Park to Point Mugu, and the mountain range continues to the Channel Islands. The range was created by tectonic forces, including the San Andreas Fault. Arnold and his co-curator S t e p h a n i e Ballard drew on a variety of resources to create the exhibition, including the university's departments of biology, geological sciences and geography as well as the National Park Service, Malibu Creek State Park and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

The display demonstrates how Native Americans flourished in the rich bounty of the mountains. It highlights the enticing trails that still draw hikers to the area.

The exhibit also tells the story of how community activism ensured that the mountains would be protected for future generations. The show also includes a diorama

that includes a small stream, waterfall and live native plants found in the mountains.

The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular library hours, Monday through

Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Oviatt Library is in the center of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge.