Invasive Species Presence

AUS-ASC-LVG-ISP General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0 %

Thresholds: Lower: 0, Upper: —

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: LowerThreshold

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 MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard UpperThreshold Guard CompositeFramework Guard CompositeFramework Guard LowerThreshold Guard MinimumOnly Guard UpperThreshold Guard

Evidence & Context

The lower critical threshold can be defined as: The point of initial establishment and commencement of spread of one or more key threatening invasive species within the managed landscape.

Metric Definition:

The point of initial establishment and commencement of spread of one or more key threatening invasive species within the managed landscape.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark marks the initial establishment and spread of key threatening invasive species, signaling the start of ecological degradation in Australian alpine and subalpine grazing lands.

Justification:

Given the vulnerability of alpine flora and fauna to competition and habitat alteration, even low densities or early stages of invasion by aggressive species can initiate a trajectory of degradation.

Sources (1)

Preview of Australian Alps - DCCEEW, accessed August 3, 2025,

Australian Alps - DCCEEW, accessed August 3, 2025, Government

State forests around Bombala - Forestry Corporation, accessed August 17, 2025,

Supporting Sources (17)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

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

Biodiversity | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Condition thresholds in Australia's threatened ecological community listings hinder conservation of dynamic ecosystems - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 4, 2025

Condition thresholds in Australia's threatened ecological community listings hinder conservation of dynamic ecosystems - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 4, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Condition thresholds in Australia´s threatened ... - CSIRO Publishing

Preview of Invasive species - ABARES - DAFF, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Invasive species - ABARES - DAFF, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Why citizen scientists are key in the fight against invasive species - CSIRO, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Invasive Species - NSW State of the Environment, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Invasive Species - NSW State of the Environment, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

ALPINE - Parks Victoria, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Invasive Species (Australia) | EBSCO Research Starters, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Invasive Species (Australia) | EBSCO Research Starters, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Invasive Species (Australia) | EBSCO Research Starters, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of ‪John W. Morgan‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬, accessed on May 25, 2025,

‪John W. Morgan‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

‪John W. Morgan‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of LTERN publications catalogued | TERN Australia - Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, accessed on May 25, 2025,

LTERN publications catalogued | TERN Australia - Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

TERN - Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Management of introduced plant species in the Australian Alps - Science for Saving Species

Management of introduced plant species in the Australian Alps - Science for Saving Species

Direct Evidence Journal

Management of introduced plant species in the Australian Alps - Science for Saving Species, accessed on May 28, 2025,

Preview of Managing for biodiversity: Impact and action thresholds for invasive plants in natural ecosystems | SPREP, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Managing for biodiversity: Impact and action thresholds for invasive plants in natural ecosystems | SPREP, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing for biodiversity: Impact and action thresholds for invasive plants in natural ecosystems | SPREP, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of New pasture plants intensify invasive species risk - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed August 6, 2025,

New pasture plants intensify invasive species risk - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed August 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Impacts and management of feral horses in the Australian Alps Submission 25 - Parliament of Australia, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of New pasture plants intensify invasive species risk - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed on May 25, 2025,

New pasture plants intensify invasive species risk - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

New pasture plants intensify invasive species risk - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Overgrazing & Reducing Grazing Pressure | Bush Heritage Australia, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Overgrazing & Reducing Grazing Pressure | Bush Heritage Australia, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Overgrazing & Reducing Grazing Pressure | Bush Heritage Australia, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Plant invasions in treeless vegetation of the Australian Alps | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Plant invasions in treeless vegetation of the Australian Alps | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Plant invasions in treeless vegetation of the Australian Alps | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Plant invasions into mountains and alpine ecosystems: current status and future challenges - Montana State University, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Plant invasions into mountains and alpine ecosystems: current status and future challenges - Montana State University, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Plant invasions into mountains and alpine ecosystems: current status and future challenges - Montana State University, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of research-repository.griffith.edu.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,

research-repository.griffith.edu.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Assessing alpine vegetation dynamics using long-term ecological monitoring amidst rapid climate change - Griffith Research Online, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). (2012). Seven decades of data sustaining the Australian Alps.

Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). (2012). Seven decades of data sustaining the Australian Alps.

Contextual Support Government

ANU Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), accessed on May 25, 2025,

Preview of The effectiveness of weed control in a threatened plant community ..., accessed May 10, 2025,

The effectiveness of weed control in a threatened plant community ..., accessed May 10, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

A checklist of attributes for effective monitoring of threatened species and threatened ecosystems - Charles Darwin University, accessed August 8, 2025,

Context

Region Australia
Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 21 Mar 2026

Notes

Maintaining the system below this critical threshold requires constant vigilance, early detection, and rapid response measures. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always worse.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-LVG-ISP family.