Fungal:Bacterial Ratio

AUS-TMS-CON-SFB General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

1.4 index
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: Point

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context. The scoring engine uses 4 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 3 guard(s) constrain the result.

Evidence & Context

The mean F:B ratio across all fire treatments (unburnt, early biennial, late biennial) was 1.4±0.41 (S.D.)

Metric Definition:

The ratio of fungal to bacterial biomass (F:B ratio) in soils is increasingly recognized as a critical bioindicator, offering insights into soil ecological status, functional pathways, and overall health.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the typical fungal to bacterial biomass ratio in soils of tropical monsoonal savannas under minimal recent disturbance, reflecting a healthy soil microbial community in conservation areas.

Justification:

The 'unburnt' plots provide a proxy for minimal recent disturbance. The resilience of the F:B ratio to different fire frequencies and timings suggests that this value may be representative of well-managed conservation areas.

Sources (1)

Preview of EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT ON SOIL CARBON ..., accessed on June 7, 2025
EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT ON SOIL CARBON ..., accessed on June 7, 2025 Journal

Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central

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Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Contextual metadata �� Australian Microbiome, accessed on June 7, 2025
Contextual metadata �� Australian Microbiome, accessed on June 7, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Contextual metadata – Australian Microbiome

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Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical Monsoonal Savannas
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 26 May 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. The reference value is derived from a 17-year experimental study in a tropical savanna near Darwin, NT, Australia.