Litter Cover

AUS-TSW-LVG-LIT General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 30 to 40 %

Optimal Range: 30 to 40

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Contributing Benchmarks

CompositeFramework Primary LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard UpperThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard CompositeFramework Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

This leads to a derived benchmark for litter cover in a best-on-offer system of 30-40%.

Metric Definition:

Litter Cover (%)

Benchmark Definition:

The percentage of soil surface covered by litter, representing the litter component within the highest observed annual mean total ground cover from best-practice regenerative grazing properties in this biome and land use.

Justification:

The 30-40% value is a derived benchmark representing the estimated litter component within the highest observed annual mean total ground cover (71.8%) from a multi-site study of best-practice regenerative grazing properties in semi-arid NSW. Confidence is 'Moderate' as the value is inferred from total cover data and ecological principles, not directly measured as a standalone litter percentage in the primary source.

Sources (1)

Preview of Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025,

Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025, Journal

Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025,

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Supporting Sources (4)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support

Ludwig, J.A., Bastin, G.N., Chewings, V.H., Eager, R.W., and Liedloff, A.C. (2005). Clearing savannas for use as rangelands in Queensland: Altered landscapes and water-erosion processes. Rangeland Journal, 27(2), 135-149.

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