Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TCF-AGR-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

6.6 %

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 10 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 9 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard

Evidence & Context

One study documented an exceptional SOC stock of 191 Mg C/ha under irrigated dairy pasture on a farm with predominantly Ferrosols and Dermosols, equivalent to approximately 6.6% SOC.

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) content as a percentage under irrigated dairy pasture on Ferrosols and Dermosols in the Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests biome.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the soil organic carbon percentage under optimal irrigated dairy pasture conditions on clay-rich soils in the Temperate Coastal Forests & Woodlands biome in Australia.

Justification:

Represents a best-case scenario under optimal management and soil conditions.

Sources (1)

Assessment of soil carbon stores at the farm scale in Tasmania, Australia - IUSS.org Journal

Assessment of soil carbon stores at the farm scale in Tasmania, Australia - IUSS.org

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Supporting Sources (6)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Carbon stocks in Tasmanian soils - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Carbon stocks in Tasmanian soils - ResearchGate

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cdn.environment.sa.gov.au

Direct Evidence Journal

cdn.environment.sa.gov.au

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Land use and management influences on surface soil organic carbon in Tasmania

Direct Evidence

Land use and management influences on surface soil organic carbon in Tasmania

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ON THE FARM - THE GOOD DIRT - Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority

Direct Evidence

ON THE FARM - THE GOOD DIRT - Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority

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Preview of Soil health indicators for monitoring forest ecological restoration: a critical review | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on June 7, 2025,

Soil health indicators for monitoring forest ecological restoration: a critical review | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on June 7, 2025,

Direct Evidence

Soil health indicators for monitoring forest ecological restoration: a critical review | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 16, 2025

View Source

Preview of Soil health: the foundation of sustainable agriculture - 2001 workshop proceedings - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed July 25, 2025,

Soil health: the foundation of sustainable agriculture - 2001 workshop proceedings - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed July 25, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Pasture health kit - Making More From Sheep, accessed August 9, 2025

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Coastal Forests & Woodlands
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 2
Effective From 21 Mar 2026

Notes

This value is higher than the typical reference range and indicates potential maximum SOC levels. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TCF-AGR-SOC family.