Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TSR-CON-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

4.6 %
Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 4.6
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

For Clayey soils (Benchmark ~6.6%), the threshold would be around 4.6% SOC.

Metric Definition:

Lower critical threshold for SOC on clayey soils indicating significant degradation

Benchmark Definition:

Lower critical Soil Organic Carbon threshold of 4.6% for clayey soils indicating significant degradation in conservation areas.

Justification:

Represents a 30% decline from the reference benchmark indicating significant degradation.

Sources (1)

Preview of Nutrient relationships of tree species in a New South Wales Subtropical rainforest
Nutrient relationships of tree species in a New South Wales Subtropical rainforest Journal

Nutrient relationships of tree species in a New South Wales Subtropical rainforest

View Source

Supporting Sources (3)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Addressing the rundown of nitrogen and soil organic carbon - GRDC, accessed July 25, 2025,
Addressing the rundown of nitrogen and soil organic carbon - GRDC, accessed July 25, 2025,
Degradation Threshold Journal

CRITICAL SOIL ORGANIC CARBON RANGE FOR OPTIMAL CROP RESPONSE TO MINERAL FERTILISER NITROGEN ON A FERRALSOL | Experimental Agriculture - Cambridge University Press

View Source
Preview of Soil carbon distribution and its temperature sensitivity in tropical forests with different forest types
Soil carbon distribution and its temperature sensitivity in tropical forests with different forest types
Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon distribution and its temperature sensitivity in tropical forests with different forest types

View Source
Preview of Soil Organic Carbon Distribution, Enzyme Activities, and the ... - MDPI
Soil Organic Carbon Distribution, Enzyme Activities, and the ... - MDPI
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Organic Carbon Distribution, Enzyme Activities, and the ... - MDPI

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 21 Mar 2026

Notes

Threshold for management intervention in conservation areas.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSR-CON-SOC family.

3.2 % High
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Conservation Target
Point Active v1
2 % Moderate
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Active v1
2.2 % Moderate
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Conservation Target
MinimumOnly Active v1
1.4 % Moderate
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Conservation Target
MinimumOnly Active v1