Final answer:
The vegetation types in Australia have undergone significant changes over the past 22 million years. The landscape transformed from a drought-adapted mosaic to a fire-adapted desert scrub due to sustained Aboriginal landscape burning. Additionally, development for agriculture has led to the loss and fragmentation of native vegetation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The vegetation types in Australia have undergone significant changes over the past 22 million years. One major change is the transformation of the landscape from a drought-adapted mosaic of trees, shrubs, and nutritious grasslands to the modern fire-adapted desert scrub. This change was believed to be caused by sustained Aboriginal landscape burning during colonization around 40,000 years ago.
Another change is the loss and fragmentation of native vegetation due to development for agriculture, with over 70% of native vegetation being removed in some regions. The remaining vegetation is now fragmented into small patches, resulting in reduced biodiversity and habitat loss.