Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TMS-FOR-SEC General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

0.005 dS/m

Thresholds: Lower: 0.005, Upper: —

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: LowerThreshold

Evidence & Context

Conceptually, a lower critical threshold for EC1:5 might be considered as approaching 0.005 dS/m.

Metric Definition:

Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC) measured as EC1:5 H2O.

Benchmark Definition:

A lower critical threshold below which essential ecological functions are compromised due to very low soluble ion concentrations in Tropical Monsoonal Savannas under Production Forestry.

Justification:

Values moving towards the EC of distilled water (~0.001 dS/m) indicate extreme and likely detrimental depletion of soluble ions.

Supporting Sources (27)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

(PDF) Defining and Measuring the Health of Savanna Landscapes ..., accessed May 20, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) Defining and Measuring the Health of Savanna Landscapes ..., accessed May 20, 2025

View Source

A Guide To Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC): Description, Importance & Soil EC Maps, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Impacts of salinity | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government

View Source

Preview of African Mahogany Under Saline Stress: An Analysis of the Transpiration Response at Different Salinity Levels - PMC, accessed May 16, 2025,

African Mahogany Under Saline Stress: An Analysis of the Transpiration Response at Different Salinity Levels - PMC, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

African Mahogany Under Saline Stress: An Analysis of the Transpiration Response at Different Salinity Levels - PMC

View Source

Preview of African Mahogany Under Saline Stress: An Analysis of the Transpiration Response at Different Salinity Levels - Preprints.org, accessed May 16, 2025,

African Mahogany Under Saline Stress: An Analysis of the Transpiration Response at Different Salinity Levels - Preprints.org, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

African Mahogany Under Saline Stress: An Analysis of the Transpiration Response at Different Salinity Levels - Preprints.org

View Source

Australia's State of the Forests Report - DAFF, accessed August 10, 2025,

Contextual Support

Criterion 4: Conservation and maintenance of soil and water resources - DAFF, accessed May 26, 2025

View Source

Brigalow Tropical Savanna | EBSCO Research Starters, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Brigalow Tropical Savanna | EBSCO Research Starters

View Source

Factors that affect soil electrical conductivity (EC) based system for smart farming application, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Factors that affect soil electrical conductivity (EC) based system for smart farming application

View Source

Preview of Fire regime impacts on soil microbes, soil organic carbon and ground cover in an Australian tropical savanna - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 16, 2025,

Fire regime impacts on soil microbes, soil organic carbon and ground cover in an Australian tropical savanna - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Fire regime impacts on soil microbes, soil organic carbon and ground cover in an Australian tropical savanna - CSIRO PUBLISHING | International Journal of Wildland Fire, accessed on June 5, 2025

View Source

Preview of Impact of fire return interval on pyrogenic carbon stocks in a tropical savanna, North Queensland, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 16, 2025,

Impact of fire return interval on pyrogenic carbon stocks in a tropical savanna, North Queensland, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Impact of fire return interval on pyrogenic carbon stocks in a tropical savanna, North Queensland, Australia - CSIRO Publishing

View Source

Measuring soil salinity | Agriculture and Food, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Methodology Source Government

Measuring soil salinity | Agriculture and Food

View Source

New Insights on Plant Salt Tolerance Mechanisms and Their Potential Use for Breeding, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Irrelevant Journal

New Insights on Plant Salt Tolerance Mechanisms and Their Potential Use for Breeding

View Source

Preview of Physio-biochemical and morphological characters of halophyte legume shrub, Acacia ampliceps seedlings in response to salt stress under greenhouse - PMC, accessed May 16, 2025,

Physio-biochemical and morphological characters of halophyte legume shrub, Acacia ampliceps seedlings in response to salt stress under greenhouse - PMC, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Physio-biochemical and morphological characters of halophyte legume shrub, Acacia ampliceps seedlings in response to salt stress under greenhouse - PMC

View Source

Preview of Plantation tree growth responses to P, N, K and minor and trace elements on low fertility savanna soils - ResearchGate, accessed May 16, 2025,

Plantation tree growth responses to P, N, K and minor and trace elements on low fertility savanna soils - ResearchGate, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Agnote - Northern Territory Government

View Source

Salinity tolerance of hydroponically grown Pinus pinea L. seedlings - ResearchGate, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Salinity tolerance of hydroponically grown Pinus pinea L. seedlings - ResearchGate

View Source

Soil Electrical Conductivity - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed May 16, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

USDA 12

View Source

Preview of Soil organic carbon content at a range of north Australian tropical savannas with contrasting site histories - OPUS at UTS, accessed May 16, 2025,

Soil organic carbon content at a range of north Australian tropical savannas with contrasting site histories - OPUS at UTS, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

opus.lib.uts.edu.au, accessed May 13, 2025,

View Source

Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

Litchfield Savanna BASE Contextual, Soil Physico-Chemical Data ...

View Source

Preview of Soil Salinity and pH Drive Soil Bacterial Community Composition and Diversity Along a Lateritic Slope in the Avon River Critical Zone Observatory, Western Australia - Frontiers, accessed May 16, 2025,

Soil Salinity and pH Drive Soil Bacterial Community Composition and Diversity Along a Lateritic Slope in the Avon River Critical Zone Observatory, Western Australia - Frontiers, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Salinity and pH Drive Soil Bacterial Community Composition and Diversity Along a Lateritic Slope in the Avon River Critical Zone Observatory, Western Australia - Frontiers

View Source