Soil Moisture

AUS-ASC-LVG-SMO General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

15 % VWC
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: MinimumOnly

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 OptimalRange Guard Point Guard CompositeFramework Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard LowerThreshold Guard CompositeFramework Guard

Evidence & Context

Based on indirect evidence, this might occur when VSM falls below 15-20%

Metric Definition:

Volumetric Soil Moisture (VSM), expressed as a percentage (%), represents the volume of water per unit volume of soil.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the minimum volumetric soil moisture level in the Alpine and Subalpine Complex under livestock grazing and pasture, below which severe wilting occurs in dominant native or adapted pasture species, impairing pasture recovery and increasing erosion risk.

Justification:

Sustained levels below this range are associated with severe wilting in dominant native or adapted pasture species, impairing pasture recovery and increasing erosion risk.

Sources (1)

Preview of Mortality of Australian alpine grasses (Poa spp ... - Oxford Academic
Mortality of Australian alpine grasses (Poa spp ... - Oxford Academic

Alpine soils in Australia with reference to conditions in Europe and New Zealand

View Source

Supporting Sources (40)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of ABARES Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update
ABARES Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update
Contextual Support Journal

Managing waterlogging in crops and pastures in South West Western Australia

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Preview of Acclimation to water stress improves tolerance to heat and freezing ...
Acclimation to water stress improves tolerance to heat and freezing ...
Contextual Support Journal

Acclimation to water stress improves tolerance to heat and freezing ...

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Preview of Alpine Ecosystems | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Alpine Ecosystems | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Alpine Ecosystems | Request PDF - ResearchGate

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Preview of Alpine Grazing Taskforce. (2005). Report of the Alpine Grazing Taskforce. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria.
Alpine Grazing Taskforce. (2005). Report of the Alpine Grazing Taskforce. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria.
Contextual Support Journal

Effects of grazing on alpine grassland soil available nutrients across the Tibetan Plateau

View Source
Preview of Alpine soils in Australia with reference to conditions in Europe and New Zealand, accessed August 28, 2025,
Alpine soils in Australia with reference to conditions in Europe and New Zealand, accessed August 28, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

NSW Department of Primary Industries. (2021). Soil acidity and liming. Soils Guides.

View Source
Preview of An Assessment of the scientific adequacy of grazing studies in the Victorian High Country 1945 - 1998, with some recommendations for future research, accessed on May 25, 2025,
An Assessment of the scientific adequacy of grazing studies in the Victorian High Country 1945 - 1998, with some recommendations for future research, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE FUTURE OF CATTLE GRAZING IN THE ALPINE NATIONAL PARK

View Source
Preview of Assessment of livestock carrying capacity in the alpine grasslands of the Kashmir Himalayas - Frontiers Publishing Partnerships
Assessment of livestock carrying capacity in the alpine grasslands of the Kashmir Himalayas - Frontiers Publishing Partnerships
Contextual Support Journal

Assessment of livestock carrying capacity in the alpine grasslands of the Kashmir Himalayas - Frontiers Publishing Partnerships

View Source
Preview of Australia wide daily volumetric soil moisture estimates
Australia wide daily volumetric soil moisture estimates
Methodology Source Government

Water Retention - Oz Soils 4 - UNE

View Source
Preview of Australia wide daily volumetric soil moisture estimates - TERN Data Discovery Portal, accessed July 19, 2025,
Australia wide daily volumetric soil moisture estimates - TERN Data Discovery Portal, accessed July 19, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

TERN SMIPS - esoil.io

View Source
Preview of Depth extrapolation of field-scale soil moisture time series derived with cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) using the soil moisture analytical relationship (SMAR) model
Depth extrapolation of field-scale soil moisture time series derived with cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) using the soil moisture analytical relationship (SMAR) model
Methodology Source Journal

Soil Moisture Monitoring - Dairy Australia

View Source
Preview of Development and Application of Environmentally Friendly Soil Conditioners for Soil Water Regulation
Development and Application of Environmentally Friendly Soil Conditioners for Soil Water Regulation
Contextual Support Journal

Development and Application of Environmentally Friendly Soil Conditioners for Soil Water Regulation. PMC.

View Source
Preview of Disproportionate CH4 Sink Strength from an Endemic, Sub-Alpine Australian Soil Microbial Community. Microorganisms, 9(3).
Disproportionate CH4 Sink Strength from an Endemic, Sub-Alpine Australian Soil Microbial Community. Microorganisms, 9(3).
Contextual Support Journal

Disproportionate CH4 Sink Strength from an Endemic, Sub-Alpine Australian Soil Microbial Community. Microorganisms, 9(3).

View Source
Preview of Ecological, biophysical and animal production responses to strategic-rest grazing in Australia and worldwide - Research UNE
Ecological, biophysical and animal production responses to strategic-rest grazing in Australia and worldwide - Research UNE
Contextual Support

Implications of grazing management systems incorporating planned rest for biodiversity conservation and landscape function in rangelands - Research UNE

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Preview of Experimental warming in Mediterranean subalpine Nardus stricta grasslands
Experimental warming in Mediterranean subalpine Nardus stricta grasslands
Contextual Support Journal

Experimental warming in Mediterranean subalpine Nardus stricta grasslands. PMC.

View Source
Preview of Getting the measure of soil moisture in Australia | TERN Australia, accessed July 19, 2025,
Getting the measure of soil moisture in Australia | TERN Australia, accessed July 19, 2025,
Direct Evidence Government

Getting the measure of soil moisture in Australia | TERN Australia

View Source
Preview of Grazing Intensity Accelerates Surface Soil C and N Cycling in Alpine Pastures as Revealed by Soil Genes and δ 15 N Ratio - MDPI, accessed May 13, 2025,
Grazing Intensity Accelerates Surface Soil C and N Cycling in Alpine Pastures as Revealed by Soil Genes and δ 15 N Ratio - MDPI, accessed May 13, 2025,
Direct Evidence Journal

Grazing Intensity Accelerates Surface Soil C and N Cycling in Alpine Pastures as Revealed by Soil Genes and δ 15 N Ratio - MDPI, accessed May 10, 2026

View Source
Preview of Growth of young cattle grazing high-moisture winter forages in a temperate environment was not affected by access to drinking water - CSIRO Publishing
Growth of young cattle grazing high-moisture winter forages in a temperate environment was not affected by access to drinking water - CSIRO Publishing
Contextual Support Journal

Growth of young cattle grazing high-moisture winter forages in a temperate environment was not affected by access to drinking water - CSIRO Publishing

View Source
Preview of Gully erosion assessment and control guide - Local Land Services, accessed on May 29, 2025,
Gully erosion assessment and control guide - Local Land Services, accessed on May 29, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au

View Source
Preview of Habitat selection and site fidelity of a large herbivore in a fragmented landscape
Habitat selection and site fidelity of a large herbivore in a fragmented landscape
Direct Evidence Journal

Habitat selection and site fidelity of a large herbivore in a fragmented landscape. Canadian Science Publishing.

View Source
Preview of Impact of land management on available water capacity and water storage of peatlands | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Impact of land management on available water capacity and water storage of peatlands | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Impact of land management on available water capacity and water storage of peatlands | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Land management for graziers | Business Queensland, accessed August 8, 2025
Land management for graziers | Business Queensland, accessed August 8, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Managing Gully Erosion - NQ Dry Tropics

View Source
Preview of Managing waterlogging in crops and pastures in South West Western Australia
Managing waterlogging in crops and pastures in South West Western Australia
Contextual Support

Waterlogging – the science - Department of Agriculture and Food

View Source
Preview of Mapping near-real-time soil moisture dynamics over Tasmania with transfer learning
Mapping near-real-time soil moisture dynamics over Tasmania with transfer learning
Contextual Support Journal

ACT Regional Drought Resilience Plan - DAFF

View Source
Preview of Mortality of Australian alpine grasses (Poa spp.) after drought: species differences and ecological patterns - Oxford Academic
Mortality of Australian alpine grasses (Poa spp.) after drought: species differences and ecological patterns - Oxford Academic
Contextual Support Journal

Mortality of Australian alpine grasses (Poa spp.) after drought: species differences and ecological patterns - Oxford Academic

View Source
Preview of New piecewise-continuous hydraulic functions for modeling preferential flow in an intermittent-flood-irrigated field - ResearchGate
New piecewise-continuous hydraulic functions for modeling preferential flow in an intermittent-flood-irrigated field - ResearchGate
Methodology Source Journal

Patterns of variation in Australian alpine soils and their relationships to parent material, vegetation formation, climate and t

View Source
Preview of On the role of expert systems and numerical taxonomy in soil classification - ResearchGate
On the role of expert systems and numerical taxonomy in soil classification - ResearchGate
Methodology Source Journal

New piecewise-continuous hydraulic functions for modeling preferential flow in an intermittent-flood-irrigated field - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au, accessed on May 31, 2025
openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au, accessed on May 31, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au, accessed on May 31, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Overgrazing & Reducing Grazing Pressure | Bush Heritage Australia, accessed July 30, 2025,
Overgrazing & Reducing Grazing Pressure | Bush Heritage Australia, accessed July 30, 2025,
Contextual Support

Soil PhD Research | Bush Heritage Australia, accessed July 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of People using TERN: Renée Marchin | TERN Australia
People using TERN: Renée Marchin | TERN Australia
Contextual Support Government

People using TERN: Renée Marchin | TERN Australia

View Source
Preview of Productivity and Quality of Alpine Grassland Vary With ... - Frontiers
Productivity and Quality of Alpine Grassland Vary With ... - Frontiers
Contextual Support Journal

Productivity and Quality of Alpine Grassland Vary With ... - Frontiers

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Preview of Restoring the mires of the Australian Alps following the 2003 wildfires | IUCN UK Peatland Programme
Restoring the mires of the Australian Alps following the 2003 wildfires | IUCN UK Peatland Programme
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Restoring the mires of the Australian Alps following the 2003 wildfires | IUCN UK Peatland Programme

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Preview of SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM
SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM
Contextual Support Journal

Rainfall infiltration and soil hydrological characteristics below ancient forest, planted forest and grassland in a temperate northern climate

View Source
Preview of Soil Moisture Monitoring - Dairy Australia
Soil Moisture Monitoring - Dairy Australia
Contextual Support Government

ABARES Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update

View Source
Preview of Soil moisture monitoring in grazing systems (BIGG Case Study)
Soil moisture monitoring in grazing systems (BIGG Case Study)
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil moisture monitoring in grazing systems (BIGG Case Study). bigg.org.au.

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Preview of TERN. TERN – Australia's Ecosystem Observatory Network, highlights for 2018-2023.
TERN. TERN – Australia's Ecosystem Observatory Network, highlights for 2018-2023.
Contextual Support Government

Daintree Rainforest, Cape Tribulation BASE Contextual, Soil ..., accessed July 20, 2025

View Source
Preview of theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 29, 2025,
theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 29, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Conservation in Alpine Catchments - The Kosciuszko Huts Association, accessed August 17, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Warming increases soil respiration in a carbon-rich soil without changing microbial respiratory potential. Biogeosciences, 17.
Warming increases soil respiration in a carbon-rich soil without changing microbial respiratory potential. Biogeosciences, 17.
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Warming increases soil respiration in a carbon-rich soil without changing microbial respiratory potential. Biogeosciences, 17.

View Source
Preview of Waterlogging – the science - Department of Agriculture and Food
Waterlogging – the science - Department of Agriculture and Food
Contextual Support

Restoring the mires of the Australian Alps following the 2003 wildfires | IUCN UK Peatland Programme

View Source
Preview of Waterlogging | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 19, 2025,
Waterlogging | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 19, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Soil Water - Tas | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed August 6, 2025

View Source
Preview of www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au
www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au
Contextual Support

www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
  • Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 2 Jun 2026

Notes

The document notes this value is highly soil-specific and based on indirect evidence, including potting mix experiments with Poa species. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.