Litter Cover

AUS-AKW-AGR-LIT General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

50 %
Thresholds: Lower: 50, Upper: —
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: MinimumOnly

Scoring Curve

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

Evidence & Context

The Australian Government's national ground cover monitoring program, a collaborative effort involving ABARES, CSIRO, and other agencies, explicitly states that "wind erosion is more likely to occur when ground cover is less than 50 per cent".

Metric Definition:

Litter Cover (%)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark identifies the critical minimum litter cover threshold below which wind erosion risk significantly increases in Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands agricultural cropping systems.

Justification:

This 50% figure is used in national wind erosion models to identify landscapes at risk and serves as a key national indicator.

Sources (1)

Preview of Wind erosion | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 23, 2025
Wind erosion | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 23, 2025 Government

Macroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network - PMC, accessed March 27, 2026,

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Supporting Sources (17)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of A vulnerable soil environment study in karst areas: a bibliometric analysis - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025,
A vulnerable soil environment study in karst areas: a bibliometric analysis - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil, Water & Air Resources Research: Ames, IA - Publication : USDA ARS, accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Best Management Practices to Use on Karst and Silurian Soil - Crops and Soils, accessed July 23, 2025,
Best Management Practices to Use on Karst and Silurian Soil - Crops and Soils, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Australian Soil: Definition, Classification, Types and Quality - Access EP, accessed July 16, 2025

View Source
Preview of Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review - MDPI, accessed July 23, 2025,
Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review - MDPI, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review - MDPI, accessed August 4, 2025,

View Source
Preview of CSIRO Research Publications Repository - Home Page, accessed July 6, 2025,
CSIRO Research Publications Repository - Home Page, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Comparing infiltration rates in soils managed with conventional and alternative farming methods: A meta-analysis

View Source
Preview of Environmental Policy 2013-14 - Nullarbor Links - The World's Longest Golf Course, accessed July 23, 2025,
Environmental Policy 2013-14 - Nullarbor Links - The World's Longest Golf Course, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

A model to predict the effects of prostrate ground cover on wind erosion - ResearchGate, accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Geology of the Nullarbor Plain (Webb and James 2006; courtesy JA Webb). - ResearchGate, accessed July 26, 2025,
Geology of the Nullarbor Plain (Webb and James 2006; courtesy JA Webb). - ResearchGate, accessed July 26, 2025,
Contextual Support

Report 119: Cenozoic evolution of the Nullarbor Plain paleokarst, southern Australia - NET, accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Managing heavy stubble loads without compromising the big things (weeds, disease, pests, timeliness and profit!) - a decade of stubble management and farming systems experiments
Managing heavy stubble loads without compromising the big things (weeds, disease, pests, timeliness and profit!) - a decade of stubble management and farming systems experiments
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Managing heavy stubble loads without compromising the “big things ..., accessed August 13, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Nullarbor bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 27, 2025
Nullarbor bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 27, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Soil potassium—crop response calibration relationships and ..., accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Nullarbor Plain - A biography of the Australian continent, accessed July 23, 2025,
Nullarbor Plain - A biography of the Australian continent, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Nullarbor Plain - A biography of the Australian continent, accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Nullarbor Plain - Wikipedia, accessed July 25, 2025,
Nullarbor Plain - Wikipedia, accessed July 25, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Nullarbor Plain - Wikipedia, accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Our natural environments - NSW National Parks, accessed July 23, 2025,
Our natural environments - NSW National Parks, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Our natural environments - NSW National Parks, accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Regenerative Agriculture - a literature review on the practices and mechanisms used to improve soil health - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 5, 2025,
Regenerative Agriculture - a literature review on the practices and mechanisms used to improve soil health - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support

Regenerative Land Management - HEALTHY SOILS AUSTRALIA

View Source
Preview of Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,
Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 28, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Soil toposequences, soil erosion, and ancient Maya land use adaptations to pedodiversity in the tropical karstic landscapes of southern Mexico - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025,
Soil toposequences, soil erosion, and ancient Maya land use adaptations to pedodiversity in the tropical karstic landscapes of southern Mexico - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil toposequences, soil erosion, and ancient Maya land use adaptations to pedodiversity in the tropical karstic landscapes of southern Mexico - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Stubble Management Guidelines - Upper North Farming Systems
Stubble Management Guidelines - Upper North Farming Systems
Contextual Support Government

Stubble Management Guidelines - Upper North Farming Systems

View Source
Preview of Stubble management, accessed July 23, 2025,
Stubble management, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Stubble management, accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Wetlands | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government, accessed July 23, 2025,
Wetlands | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Wetlands | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government, accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands
  • Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
  • Assessment Degradation Threshold
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Superseded
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 20 Mar 2026
  • Effective To 20 Mar 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 50 %. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AKW-AGR-LIT family.

50 % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Degradation Threshold
MinimumOnly Active v2
70 % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Conservation Target
Point Active v1