Heathland
Heath
vegetation is widespread in Australia, generally in areas of low soil fertility, but in areas of rainfall ranging from wet to dry.
Shown here is a coastal heathland
on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Note the stunted eucalypts among the other
heath species.
Hakea, Casuarina and Banksia are widespread heathland genera. In this section you will examine the sclerophyllous features of these genera.
Heathlands are composed of shrubs and stunted trees 0.25 - 2m tall, from a variety of families. The eucalypts here are stunted because of the sea spray, strong winds and low soil fertility.