Microbial Respiration

AUS-TGP-CON-SMR General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

6 mg/kg/day

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 Point form drives the primary score, while 3 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

Point Primary Point Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

This derivation produces a benchmark value of approximately 6.0 mg CO2-C/kg/day.

Metric Definition:

Basal microbial respiration, defined as the flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) from soil under controlled temperature and moisture conditions.

Benchmark Definition:

Basal microbial respiration is the flux of CO2 from soil under controlled temperature and moisture conditions, indicating soil biological activity in temperate grassy woodlands and plains under conservation management.

Justification:

It is calculated from Ecosystem Respiration data from the TERN Great Western Woodlands SuperSite, which represents the largest intact temperate woodland and serves as the best available proxy for a high-integrity, low-nutrient system. The derivation assumes microbial respiration is 50% of ecosystem respiration, a soil bulk density of 1.3 g/cm³, and an active soil depth of 10 cm.

Sources (1)

Preview of Great Western Woodlands Flux Data Release 2022_v2

Great Western Woodlands Flux Data Release 2022_v2

Great Western Woodlands Flux Data Release 2022_v2 - TERN Data Discovery Portal, accessed August 3, 2025

Supporting Sources (23)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) TERN, Australia's Land Observatory: addressing the global challenge of forecasting ecosystem responses to climate variability and change - ResearchGate, accessed on June 5, 2025

(PDF) TERN, Australia's Land Observatory: addressing the global challenge of forecasting ecosystem responses to climate variability and change - ResearchGate, accessed on June 5, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) TERN, Australia's Land Observatory: addressing the global challenge of forecasting ecosystem responses to climate variability and change - ResearchGate, accessed July 11, 2025,

Preview of Actual Evapotranspiration for Australia using CMRSET algorithm, accessed August 12, 2025,

Actual Evapotranspiration for Australia using CMRSET algorithm, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

South-western woodlands a focus of research - TERN Australia, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Australian Journal of Botany - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed August 12, 2025,

Australian Journal of Botany - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The Rangeland Journal - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Combating Australian Soil Degradation for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, accessed August 12, 2025,

Combating Australian Soil Degradation for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Combating Australian Soil Degradation for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Degradation Reduces Microbial Richness and Alters Microbial Functions in an Australian Peatland - ResearchGate, accessed August 12, 2025,

Degradation Reduces Microbial Richness and Alters Microbial Functions in an Australian Peatland - ResearchGate, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Degradation Reduces Microbial Richness and Alters Microbial Functions in an Australian Peatland - ResearchGate, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Ecosystem Processes – Environmental Data Collection Methods - TERN Australia

Ecosystem Processes – Environmental Data Collection Methods - TERN Australia

Methodology Source Government

TERN Surveillance monitoring program: Soil vis-NIR spectral library with accompanying soil measurement data for 367 specimens - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed July 17, 2025,

Preview of Great Western Woodlands Flux Data Collection - TERN Data ..., accessed August 12, 2025,

Great Western Woodlands Flux Data Collection - TERN Data ..., accessed August 12, 2025,

Direct Evidence

Great Western Woodlands Flux Data Collection - TERN Data ..., accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Great Western Woodlands SuperSite | Climate Change Impacts - TERN Australia, accessed July 10, 2025,

Great Western Woodlands SuperSite | Climate Change Impacts - TERN Australia, accessed July 10, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

URBAN FOREST STRATEGY - Your Say South Perth, accessed July 13, 2025

Preview of Incomplete recovery of ecosystem processes after two decades of ..., accessed August 12, 2025,

Incomplete recovery of ecosystem processes after two decades of ..., accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support

Climate and vegetation collectively drive soil respiration in ... - bioRxiv, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - Solvita, accessed August 5, 2025,

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - Solvita, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - Solvita

Preview of Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - USDA, accessed July 30, 2025,

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - USDA, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Twenty years of progress, challenges, and opportunities in measuring and understanding soil respiration, accessed August 13, 2025,

Preview of Long-term forest soil warming alters microbial communities in temperate forest soils - Frontiers, accessed August 12, 2025,

Long-term forest soil warming alters microbial communities in temperate forest soils - Frontiers, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support

Interannual, seasonal, and diel variation in soil respiration relative to ecosystem respiration at a wetland to upland - The UNH Scholars Repository, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities of the Victorian Volcanic Plain: Natural Temperate Grassland & Grassy Eucalypt Woodland - DCCEEW, accessed August 12, 2025,

Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities of the Victorian Volcanic Plain: Natural Temperate Grassland & Grassy Eucalypt Woodland - DCCEEW, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Environmental Stewardship - Box Gum Grassy Woodland Project - Information Booklet - DCCEEW, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory. - DCCEEW, accessed August 12, 2025,

Natural Temperate Grassland of the Southern Tablelands of NSW and the Australian Capital Territory. - DCCEEW, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

The Impact of Tree Species on Microbial Community Structure and Soil Function on Forest Plantations in the Central Hardwoods Reg, accessed August 10, 2025,

Preview of NVIS Fact sheet MVG 19 6 Tussock grasslands, accessed July 16, 2025,

NVIS Fact sheet MVG 19 6 Tussock grasslands, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Understanding soil pH, accessed August 28, 2025,

Preview of Soil | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed August 12, 2025,

Soil | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

OzFlux-TERN GWW SuperSite presentation: Soil Chemical Properties

Preview of Soil Respiration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 30, 2025,

Soil Respiration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - USDA, accessed August 10, 2025,

Preview of Soil Respiration in Semiarid Temperate Grasslands under Various Land Management | PLOS One - Research journals, accessed August 12, 2025,

Soil Respiration in Semiarid Temperate Grasslands under Various Land Management | PLOS One - Research journals, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Threshold Limits of Soil in Relation to Various Soil Functions and Crop Productivity, accessed August 13, 2025,

Preview of Temperate Grasslands - Greening Australia, accessed August 4, 2025

Temperate Grasslands - Greening Australia, accessed August 4, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Managing natural areas | City of Gold Coast, accessed May 19, 2025

Preview of Temperature response of soil respiration largely unaltered with experimental warming, accessed August 12, 2025,

Temperature response of soil respiration largely unaltered with experimental warming, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Temperature response of soil respiration largely unaltered with experimental warming, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of The Great Western Woodlands TERN SuperSite: ecosystem monitoring infrastructure and key science learnings - Journal of Ecology and Environment, accessed August 12, 2025,

The Great Western Woodlands TERN SuperSite: ecosystem monitoring infrastructure and key science learnings - Journal of Ecology and Environment, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The Great Western Woodlands TERN SuperSite: ecosystem monitoring infrastructure and key science learnings - Journal of Ecology and Environment, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Warming increases soil respiration in a carbon-rich soil without changing microbial respiratory potential - BG, accessed August 12, 2025,

Warming increases soil respiration in a carbon-rich soil without changing microbial respiratory potential - BG, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Warming increases soil respiration in a carbon-rich soil without changing microbial respiratory potential - BG, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Woodlands - DCCEEW, accessed August 5, 2025,

Woodlands - DCCEEW, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support

Woodlands - DCCEEW, accessed May 19, 2025

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Grassy Woodlands & Plains
Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
Assessment Conservation Target
Vegetation Woodland
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 20 Mar 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. The reference value is a derived estimate, not a direct measurement. Lower Critical Threshold and Upper Detrimental Threshold are functionally defined but not numerically fixed. The optimal range is natural seasonal and diurnal fluctuations around the benchmark.