Mallee is found on flat to undulating landscapes on sandy soils, old sand dunes, heavy clay or rocky calcareous soils in north-western Victoria. The altitude range is generally between 50 and 200 m above sea level and the rainfall varies from 250 to 400 mm a year. About 45% of the area once supporting Mallee in Victoria falls on public land while a little under one third is represented in conservation parks and reserves. About 35% of all Mallee has been permanently cleared for agriculture, urban development or mining.
The Wergaui people of north-western Victoria, near Swan Hill, used the word "mallee" to denote Eucalyptus dumosa and it has since been applied to all other small, multi-stemmed eucalypts, the ecosystem they characterise and the region itself.
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