Skip links and keyboard navigation

Queensland Government
WetlandInfo   —   Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

HIDE THIS SECTION
Bioregions

Desert Uplands (DEU) bioregion

Access wetland mapping in PDF and KML format by selecting the desired 100K map tile below or download the data via the Queensland Government Information Service.

The below map is for visual representation purposes only. For more detailed mapping, please download the boundary KML.

Drag this bar to relocate the map on your screen

Open WetlandMaps interactive map server

Download boundary KML (KMZ, 0.1 MB) metadata

How to use KMLs?

Name: Desert Uplands (DEU)
Area type: Bioregion
Total area: 6,941,095 ha
% total Qld: 4.0%
Page table of contents
Catchment stories
Wetland observations
Wetland extents
Wetland extent changes
Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC)
Drainage divisions
Drainage basins
Drainage sub-basins
Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies
Local government areas
100K map tiles
Climate zones
Biogeographic subregions
IBRA bioregions
IBRA subregions
Bioregional assessment areas
Marine meso-scale bioregions
Marine provincial bioregions
Regional plans
World Heritage areas
Ramsar internationally important wetlands
DIWA nationally important wetlands
National parks
Marine parks (Queensland)
Study areas
Report cards
Conservation parks
State forests
Forest reserves
Resources reserves
Timber reserves
Fish habitat areas
Coastal management district
Nature refuges
Freshwater biogeographic provinces
Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles
Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models
Healthy Land and Water conceptual models
Water resource planning areas
Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs
Point source monitoring
Wetland soil indicator case studies
Wetland management case studies
Wetland projects
Area specific conceptual model case studies
Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards
Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments
EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives
Shorebird zones
Biopassage structures
Related legislation/policies
Wildlife

HIDE THIS SECTION
Catchment stories info

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland observations

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland extents info metadata

Based on wetland mapping version 6.0

Display areas in

Desert Uplands (DEU) bioregion wetland area by system 2019
System Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 164,797 100.0% 2.4%
Total excluding riverine and artificial/highly modified riverine 78,465 47.6% 1.1%
Artificial and highly modified 2,016 1.2% 0.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0.0% 0.0%
Lacustrine (natural) 20,885 12.7% 0.3%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 538 0.3% 0.0%
Palustrine (natural) 54,036 32.8% 0.8%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 990 0.6% 0.0%
Riverine 86,331 52.4% 1.2%

View wetland system extents for all bioregions

Desert Uplands (DEU) bioregion wetland area by habitat 2019
Habitat Area (ha) % wetlands area % total area
Total 75,149 100.0% 1.1%
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0.0% 0.0%
Mangroves - other 0 0.0% 0.0%
Salt marsh and salt flats 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 20,264 27.0% 0.3%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 34,724 46.2% 0.5%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 5,794 7.7% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 3,645 4.9% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 5,938 7.9% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 4,741 6.3% 0.1%
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 10 0.0% 0.0%
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 28 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 4 0.0% 0.0%
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 0 0.0% 0.0%

View wetland habitat area for all bioregions

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland extent changes

Desert Uplands (DEU) bioregion wetland extent change by system
System 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)		 pre-clear area
(ha)		 2019/pre-clear
percentage
Total 164,797 164,799 164,841 164,806 164,790 164,894 166,285 * 97.9%
Artificial and highly modified 2,016 2,008 1,983 1,940 1,779 1,661 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (natural) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Intertidal (saltmarsh, saltflats, mangroves) (slightly modified) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 n/a
Lacustrine (natural) 20,885 20,885 20,885 20,885 20,885 20,885 20,886 100.0%
Lacustrine (slightly modified) 538 538 538 532 532 532 0 n/a
Palustrine (natural) 54,036 54,036 54,032 54,041 54,142 54,175 56,322 95.9%
Palustrine (slightly modified) 990 990 990 990 990 990 0 n/a
Riverine 86,331 86,342 86,413 86,417 86,462 86,650 89,076 96.9%

* Total 2019/pre-clear percentage excludes artificial and highly modified

metadata View 2019 wetland system extents for all bioregions

metadata View 2017 wetland system extents for all bioregions

metadata View 2013 wetland system extents for all bioregions

metadata View 2009 wetland system extents for all bioregions

metadata View 2005 wetland system extents for all bioregions

metadata View 2001 wetland system extents for all bioregions

metadata View pre-clear wetland system extents for all bioregions

metadata View 2019/pre-clear wetland system extent percentages for all bioregions

Desert Uplands (DEU) bioregion wetland extent change by habitat
Habitat 2019 area
(ha)		 2017 area
(ha)		 2013 area
(ha)		 2009 area
(ha)		 2005 area
(ha)		 2001 area
(ha)
Total 75,149 75,149 75,145 75,154 75,255 75,288
Mangroves - Casuarina 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mangroves - other 0 0 0 0 0 0
Salt marsh and salt flats 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain lake 20,264 20,264 20,264 20,264 20,264 20,264
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain clay plan lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid permanently inundated lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain rock lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (window) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain sand (perched) lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain soil lake 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid saline swamp 34,724 34,725 34,695 34,697 34,792 34,811
Arid and semi-arid floodplain tree swamp 5,794 5,794 5,812 5,813 5,813 5,816
Arid and semi-arid floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 3,645 3,645 3,645 3,648 3,650 3,651
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain tree swamp 5,938 5,938 5,940 5,940 5,941 5,951
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain shrub swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Arid and semi-arid non-floodplain grass, sedge and herb swamp 4,741 4,741 4,747 4,750 4,752 4,754
Arid and semi-arid other non-floodplain swamp 10 10 10 10 10 10
Arid and semi-arid Great Artesian Basin fed spring swamp 28 28 28 28 28 28
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal non-floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal other non-floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain tree (Melaleuca and Eucalypt) swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain grass, sedge, and herb swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal floodplain wet heath swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal other floodplain swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coastal and sub-coastal tree (palm) swamp 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown - Swamp - Arid and semi-arid 4 4 4 4 4 4
Unknown - Swamp - Coastal and sub-coastal 0 0 0 0 0 0

metadata View 2019 wetland habitat area for all bioregions

metadata View 2017 wetland habitat area for all bioregions

metadata View 2013 wetland habitat area for all bioregions

metadata View 2009 wetland habitat area for all bioregions

metadata View 2005 wetland habitat area for all bioregions

metadata View 2001 wetland habitat area for all bioregions

Disclaimer

Areas do not include marine or estuarine waters but do include estuarine wetland vegetation
(e.g. mangroves and tidal flats).

All statistics are approximate and generated based on data transformed to a customised Albers equal-area projection, thus allowing wetland extent change for different regions of Queensland to be comparable.

Areas may change over time as mapping approaches improve.

Totals may not match the sum of individually displayed figures due to the rounding of displayed figures.

HIDE THIS SECTION
Australian Land Use and Management Classification (ALUMC) metadata

Desert Uplands (DEU) bioregion land use
ALUMC code and description
Area (ha)
% total area
Total 6,941,095 100.0%
2.1 Grazing native vegetation 6,607,640 95.2%
1.1 Nature conservation 172,022 2.5%
6.1 Lake 54,761 0.8%
6.5 Marsh/wetland 46,445 0.7%
1.2 Managed resource protection 39,661 0.6%
1.3 Other minimal use 7,508 0.1%
6.2 Reservoir/dam 3,099 0.0%
6.3 River 2,894 0.0%
5.7 Transport and communication 2,717 0.0%
5.4 Residential and farm infrastructure 1,519 0.0%
5.8 Mining 839 0.0%
4.3 Irrigated cropping 800 0.0%
5.5 Services 734 0.0%
3.3 Cropping 241 0.0%
5.2 Intensive animal production 53 0.0%
3.2 Grazing modified pastures 44 0.0%
5.9 Waste treatment and disposal 36 0.0%
4.5 Irrigated seasonal horticulture 29 0.0%
5.6 Utilities 22 0.0%
5.3 Manufacturing and industrial 22 0.0%
3.4 Perennial horticulture 8 0.0%
3.1 Plantation forests 2 0.0%

HIDE THIS SECTION
Drainage divisions info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Drainage basins info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Drainage sub-basins info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Regional natural resource management (NRM) bodies info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Local government areas info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
100K map tiles info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Climate zones info metadata

  • map Grassland
  • map Subtropical

HIDE THIS SECTION
Biogeographic subregions info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
IBRA bioregions info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
IBRA subregions info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Bioregional assessment areas info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Marine meso-scale bioregions metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Marine provincial bioregions metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Regional plans info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
World Heritage areas info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Ramsar internationally important wetlands info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
DIWA nationally important wetlands info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
National parks info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Marine parks (Queensland) info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Study areas metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Report cards metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Conservation parks info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
State forests info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Forest reserves info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Resources reserves info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Timber reserves info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Fish habitat areas info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Coastal management district info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Nature refuges info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Freshwater biogeographic provinces info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Aquatic Conservation Assessments (AquaBAMM) and others info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—conceptual models info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland (aquatic ecosystem) type—management profiles info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Groundwater dependent ecosystem type—conceptual models info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Healthy Land and Water conceptual models info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Water resource planning areas info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Aquatic ecosystem monitoring programs info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Point source monitoring info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland soil indicator case studies info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland management case studies info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wetland projects info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Area specific conceptual model case studies info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Paddock to Reef (P2R) report cards info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
Water Quality Improvement Plan catchments info metadata

HIDE THIS SECTION
EPP (Water) scheduled environmental values and water quality objectives info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Shorebird zones info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Biopassage structures info metadata

none

HIDE THIS SECTION
Wildlife

Kingdom
Class
 Native Introduced Wetland
indicator
species		 Rare or
threatened
species		 All
TOTAL 2,682 225 330 70 2,907
Animals 677 24 126 37 701
Mammals 86 15 2 7 101
Birds 356 4 68 20 360
Reptiles 158 0 8 8 158
Amphibians 30 1 14 0 31
Ray-finned fishes 31 3 34 2 34
Insects 14 1 0 0 15
Malacostracans 2 0 0 0 2
Bacteria 10 0 0 0 10
Fungi 17 0 0 0 17
Plants 1,978 201 204 33 2,179

Note: Wildlife statistics are based on information that has been submitted to the DETSI WildNet database and converted to a 10km² grid. The grid information has been intersected with the mapping polygons to determine the species lists. Click here to view the species grid metadata.

Information from WildNet can also be accessed via Wildlife Online and WetlandMaps.

Rare or threatened includes species listed as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or conservation dependent under either the Nature Conservation Act or Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

Disclaimer: While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this product, the Queensland Government and Australian Government make no representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaim all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a consequence of reliance on the product, or as a result of the product being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.

AreaType-bioregion

This page should be cited as:

Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland (2013) Desert Uplands (DEU) bioregion — facts and maps, WetlandInfo website, accessed 22 April 2025. Available at: https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/facts-maps/bioregion-desert-uplands-deu/