Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-TSR-FOR-SWI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

15 mm/hr

Thresholds: Lower: 15, Upper: —

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: LowerThreshold

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

An infiltration rate of less than 40 mm/hr for clayey soils and less than 15 mm/hr for sandy soils indicates severe structural degradation.

Metric Definition:

Soil water infiltration rate below which essential ecosystem functions are impaired.

Benchmark Definition:

An infiltration rate below 15 mm/hr on sandy soils indicates severe soil structural degradation and impaired ecosystem function in tropical rainforest production forestry.

Justification:

This threshold is based on quantitative data from heavily compacted skid trails representing severe mechanical disturbance.

Sources (1)

Natural recovery of skid trails: a review Journal

Natural recovery of skid trails: a review

View Source

Supporting Sources (3)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

(PDF) Reduced-impact logging: Challenges and opportunities - ResearchGate, accessed July 31, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Reduced-impact logging: Challenges and opportunities - ResearchGate

View Source

Runoff generation in tropical forests (Chapter 14) - Forests, Water and People in the Humid Tropics - Cambridge University Press

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil erosion as a resilience drain in disturbed tropical forests

View Source

Soil disturbance and post-logging forest recovery on bulldozer paths in Sabah, Malaysia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Using ecosystem integrity to maximize climate mitigation and minimize risk in international forest policy - Frontiers

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Conservation Target
Vegetation Forest
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 20 Mar 2026

Notes

Rates below this indicate severe compaction and functional impairment, consistent with heavily used skid trails, leading to a runoff-dominated regime and multi-decadal recovery times. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSR-FOR-SWI family.