Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)
Benchmark Value
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 6 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 5 guard(s) constrain the result.
Contributing Benchmarks
Evidence & Context
an SOC level of <1.5% in the 0-10 cm layer is proposed as a critically low threshold for Tropical Monsoonal Savannas under production forestry.
Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) as a percentage in the 0-10 cm soil layer
This benchmark defines a critically low soil organic carbon level in the top 10 cm of soil below which key ecological functions are significantly impaired in production forestry systems of the Australian Tropical Monsoonal Savanna biome.
Derived from studies on soil degradation where long-term cultivation resulted in SOC losses exceeding 60% from the top 0-10 cm of soil, and general soil health assessment guidelines categorizing SOC levels below 1.0% as 'Low'.
Sources (1)
Soil Health Literature - Summaries and Citations - Natural Resources Conservation Service
View SourceSupporting Sources (3)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Benefits and trade-offs of soil organic carbon sequestration - OAPEN Library
View SourceCarbon balance of a tropical savanna of northern Australia - CiteSeerX
View Source
Delivering biodiversity and socio economic co-benefits through the adoption of Beef Cattle Herd Management emission reduction pr - Southern Gulf NRM, accessed May 17, 2025
View Source