Australia and New Zealand Mallee Shrubland/Woodland

Mallee shrublands include a diversity of plant species with various eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp) ranging in size from shrub-like to tree form, thus creating a complex of shrublands and woodlands. Western black teatree (Melaleuca lanceolata) is another common woody species found throughout the region that can take on both shrub and tree form. This ecotype occurs along the southern coast of Australia in the Esperance Plains, the Murray-Darling Basin and the Eyre and York Peninsulas. Large extents of these systems have been cleared for agriculture. A suite of environmental problems have famously plagued these regions, particularly the Murray-Darling Basin where land clearing, rising salinity levels and spread of invasive species pose a serious threat to the native vegetation.