Desert Uplands
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The bioregion contains Lake Galilee, Lake Dunn and Lake Buchanan. The climate is semi-arid with highly variable rainfall. Much of the area is used for cattle grazing and is part of the Great Artesian Basin, lying within both the Galilee and Eromanga Basins. The Brigalow Belt North and Brigalow Belt South are to the east of the bioregion, and the Einasleigh Uplands are located to the north.
Waterways
The main rivers in the bioregion are Belyando, Cape, Campaspe, Barcoo and Alice River and Aramac and Torrens Creeks. Wetlands at shallow salt lakes Lake Galilee and Lake Buchanan are listed on the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia.
Subregions
The Desert Uplands bioregion has four subregions:
- Prairie-Torrens Creeks Alluvials (DEU01) – 1,580,384 hectares (3,905,210 acres)
- Alice Tableland (DEU02) – 2,866,760 hectares (7,083,900 acres)
- Cape-Campaspe Plains (DEU03) – 1,007,026 hectares (2,488,420 acres)
- Jericho (DEU04) – 1,486,926 hectares (3,674,270 acres)
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Flora
Spinifex grass is common. More than 80 weeds have been identified in the bioregion.
In 2003, it was estimated that 13 million trees per year were being destroyed in the Desert Uplands. This placed the percentage of land cleared at 6.8%, the third highest for any Queensland bioregion.
Settlements
The two main settlements in the area are at Barcaldine and Aramac.
Protected areas
Protected areas in the Desert Uplands bioregion include:
- Cudmore National Park
- Forest Den National Park
- Great Basalt Wall National Park
- Moorrinya National Park
- White Mountains National Park
- Cudmore Resources Reserve
- White Mountains Resources Reserve
- Bellview Nature Refuge
- Bimblebox Nature Refuge
- Bygana West Nature Refuge
- Doongmabulla Mound Springs Nature Refuge
- Edgbaston Nature Refuge
- Strathtay Nature Refuge
- Toomba Nature Refuge
- Ulcanbah Nature Refuge