The Desert Ecosystem Found in The Outback

Below are a few pictures depicting the Outback desert. Generally, Outback areas are dry, flat, hot, and unsuitable for agriculture. Accordingly, Australians often engage in ranching. Native animals to Australia have adapted to the hot weather by resting during the day.

(Image source: http://www.polyvore.com/australia_sheep_grazing_desert_landscape/thing?id=62138125)

It rains in the Outback very little and if it does, it does so at random times throughout a year. Thus, much of the land in the Outback is not suitable for agriculture. Accordingly, many Australians choose to make ranches instead of farms. These ranches often tend to sheep or cattle. A major issue concerning ranches is that they are often unsustainable. Sheep and cattle often eat through entire areas of native vegetation, leaving lands barren afterwards.

(Image source: http://www.jaunted.com/files/3873/Australian_Outback.jpg)

The Outback is exceptionally flat due to millions of years of erosion. Lack of any major bodies of water -- or even rainfall -- has resulted in poor, dry soils. Small shrubs have adapted to the harsh climate and soils of the outback by being less dependent on water.

(Image source: http://www.aboutaustraliadiving.com/a2it_package/images/travel/Kangaroo_In_The_Outback.jpg)

Above is a picture of a kangaroo, a popular animal endemic to Australia. It is an example of the great biodiversity found in the Outback. The first Europeans to discover Australia were struck by how peculiar the animal and plant life was compared the the animals and plants they knew.