Editing Mallee Cliffs National Park (section)

==Environment==

===Geography===
The Mallee Cliffs National Park preserves the original clay red plains of south west New South Wales, protecting extensive areas of flat to undulating sandy red plains and linear sand dunes formed during arid periods from 350,000 to 500,000 years ago.<ref name="MCoverview"/>

===Flora===
The park preserves undisturbed tracts of mallee vegetation, and [[rosewood]]-belah woodland. Mallee are small [[eucalyptus]] trees and shrubs with many small stems and thick underground roots that retain water. Before irrigation farming began, dense thickets of mallee characterized most of northwestern Victoria, and areas of south-western New South Wales.<ref name="FMP"/> The park contains an important representation of mallee communities, including both bull mallee and whipstick mallee. These flora types are continuing to be extensively cleared on private property for grazing both immediately outside the park and throughout the country. The park contains a number of isolated, relict plant communities that demonstrate shifts in the pattern of vegetation arising from long-term environmental change.<ref name="FNPW"/>

In January 1975 a [[Bushfires in Australia|bushfire]] ravaged the region which later became national park, making the average age of the vegetation considerably younger than similar protected areas. This makes the park a less attractive option for release of certain animals such as the [[black-eared miner]], which use older trees and mallee bushes as habitat.<ref>{{cite web|title=National recovery plan for the Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis 2002–2006|first=David |last = Baker-Gabb |date=February 2001|publisher=[[Australian Government]]:[[Department of the Environment (Australia)|Department of the Environment]] |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/recovery/m-melanotis/existing.html|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref>

===Fauna===
The park lies within the [[Southern NSW Mallee Important Bird Area]], identified by [[BirdLife International]] as supporting a significant population of the [[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]] [[malleefowl]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |title=Southern NSW Mallee |access-date=19 October 2011 |work=Birdata |publisher=Birds Australia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706102341/http://www.birdata.com.au/iba.vm |archive-date=6 July 2011 }}</ref> The park is the only reserve in New South Wales with malleefowl habitat. The malleefowl is found in arid areas only where the mallee grows. The males build a nest for the eggs by digging a large pit in winter and filling it with leaves and grass over the next four months. The female lays one egg per day for several days in the spring. The male then covers the resulting mound with sand. As the [[compost]] heap rots it generates heat. The male keeps watch over the mound, and tests the temperature of the mound with his tongue, adding or removing sand. When the chick hatches, it digs its way out, and once they emerge at the top of the mound are renowned for standing stationary at the top for up to twenty minutes before racing/staggering off into the bush. The chicks hatch with feathers and are immediately independent, never needing any parental care. Malleefowl grow to a length of around {{convert|60|cm}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=More about the Mallee Fowl|publisher=The Victorian Malleefowl Recovery Group, Inc|url=http://www.malleefowlvictoria.org.au/malleefowl2.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040210051742/http://www.malleefowlvictoria.org.au/malleefowl2.html|archive-date=10 February 2004}}</ref>

Several species of small birds are found in the area, as well as [[emu]]s. Mammals include a significant population of [[western grey kangaroo]]s as well as [[pygmy possum]]s and the [[little pied bat]] and [[greater long-eared bat]] which use older trees as nesting hollows. The mallee [[Triodia (plant)|spinifex]] of the park is the main habitat for the [[blue-tongue lizard|western blue-tongue]] and southern spinifex slender [[blue-tongue lizard]]s.<ref name="FMP"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Mallee slender blue-tongue lizard - endangered species listing |publisher=[[Government of New South Wales]]|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/MalleeSlenderBluetongueLizardEndSpListing.htm|work=Office of Environment & Heritage}}</ref>

In 2020, the [[Endangered species|endangered]] [[numbat]] was re-introduced to the Mallee Cliffs. Future releases will help bring the population to an expected maximum of 270 numbats within the national park.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rare numbats reintroduced to NSW national park|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/rare-numbats-reintroduced-to-nsw-national-park|access-date=2021-03-07|website=NSW Environment, Energy and Science|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Mallee Cliffs.svg|thumb|600px|Map of Mallee Cliffs National Park]]