LANDSCAPE
Southwestern Australia is an ancient and heavily weathered landscape with little topographic diversity. Soils are generally acidic and low in nutrients. Plant communities in drier areas are shrubby heathlands termed kwongan and low multi-stemmed eucalyptus woodlands called mallee. Similar heathland extends up the east coast of Australia on low nutrient soils in a region with summer rain. Areas with more rainfall or deeper soils support banksia woodlands or tall eucalypt forests. Karri eucalypts of the extreme southwestern area reach 90 m in height, making them one of the tallest tree species in the world.

HUMAN HISTORY
European settlement of Southwestern Australia did not occur until the early 19th century. Agricultural expansion, grazing, and deforestation over the past century have had profound ecological effects and have fragmented the natural landscape. Introduced animal species such as rabbits, foxes, cats, and ferrets have had a dramatic influence on the unique native biota of this region.