Coolgardie | |||||||||||||
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 Theinterim Australian bioregions, with Coolgardie in red | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Western Australia | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 129,122.09 km2 (49,854.32 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
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Coolgardie is anAustralianbioregion consisting of an area of low hills and plains of infertile sandy soil inWestern Australia.[1] It has an area of 129,122.09 square kilometres (49,854.32 sq mi).[2] It includes much of theGreat Western Woodlands.
This is a transition zone between theMediterranean climate ofAustralia's south-west coast and the country's dry interior. The poor soil makes it unsuitable for agriculture butCoolgardie has been a gold and nickel mining area.
It is bounded on the north by the aridMurchison bioregion, characterised by openmulga woodlands and steppe. The low shrublands of the aridNullarbor Plain lie to the east.
TheMallee bioregion adjoins Coolgardie on the south. TheAvon Wheatbelt bioregion is to the west.
The Coolgardie bioregion, together with the coastalHampton bioregion to the southeast, constitute theCoolgardie woodlandsecoregion defined by theWorld Wildlife Fund.[3]
The low hills are home to woodland ofendemic species ofeucalyptus while the sand plains are covered inscrubland. The areas nearer the west coast have moreprotea flowers while the drier inland is home toacacia trees andkwonganheathland.
Wildlife of the Coolgardie bioregion includes birds such asmalleefowl,laughing kookaburra andbarking owl, and reptiles such as thethorny devil anddesert death adder. Mammals include theechidna,brushtail possum,red kangaroo,eastern wallaroo andbilby.
