What is the Outback?

Map of the Australian Outback (this is an approximation, as there is no official border to the Outback)

(Image source: http://www.dougsrepublic.com/australia/outback.php)

The subject of this blog is the Outback desert ecosystem that can only be found in Australia. This ecosystem is a large region in Australia that is characterized by a desert climate. This means that the Outback is any area that receives a minimal amount of rainfall. Although there is no clear border separating the Outback from its surrounding ecosystems such as tropical rain forests,  the map above presents a good general outline of what can be considered Outback territory. It is important to note that of the estimated 3 million square miles of land in Australia, about 70% of the continent of it makes up this desert ecosystem (Davies 363). The Outback ecosystem is important to study because it is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. Additionally, the Outback is interesting because it has undergone a rapid transformation from a completely isolated region to an area now heavily influenced by Western culture. When talking about how Europeans have affected the Outback, one must inevitably face problems concerning environmental degradation and the loss of biodiversity. Nonetheless, the story of the Outback is not complete without an explanation of the current attempts to preserve the desert ecosystem and the native species that call it home.