Microbial Respiration

AUS-ASC-FOR-SMR General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

251 t C/ha

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: Point

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is Point, 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.

Evidence & Context

measured total soil carbon in an E. delegatensis forest in the South-Eastern Highlands of NSW as 251 tonnes of Carbon per hectare (tC/ha) in the 0-200 cm soil profile

Metric Definition:

Total soil carbon in the 0-200 cm soil profile

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the total soil carbon stock in a carbon-rich eucalypt forest soil at high altitude, indicating a productive ecosystem with substantial carbon inputs and a soil environment supporting active microbial biomass.

Justification:

High SOC levels generally indicate a productive ecosystem with substantial carbon inputs and a soil environment capable of supporting a large and active microbial biomass.

Sources (1)

Preview of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (n.d.). The Australian Alps Bioregion.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. (n.d.). The Australian Alps Bioregion. Journal

Australian Alps Montane Grasslands | One Earth, accessed May 11, 2026,

Supporting Sources (17)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Australia's Sustainable Forest Management - DAFF, accessed August 28, 2025,

Australia's Sustainable Forest Management - DAFF, accessed August 28, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Sustainable Forestry – Protecting Australia's Forest Dwelling Wildlife

Preview of Australian Heritage Database - DCCEEW, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Australian Heritage Database - DCCEEW, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Australian Heritage Database - DCCEEW

Preview of Carbon Cycling in Sub-alpine Ecosystems

Carbon Cycling in Sub-alpine Ecosystems

Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

The composition of organic phosphorus in soils of the Snowy Mountains region of south-eastern Australia - Semantic Scholar

Preview of Determining baselines, drivers and trends of soil health and stability ...

Determining baselines, drivers and trends of soil health and stability ...

Contextual Support Journal

Machinery-induced soil compaction in thinning two pine stands in central Italy | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Preview of Determining baselines, drivers and trends of soil health and stability ..., accessed July 12, 2025,

Determining baselines, drivers and trends of soil health and stability ..., accessed July 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Phosphorus: a finite resource essential for life, critical for agriculture and food security

Preview of Fire Severity and Plant Community Dynamics in Montane Ecosystems in the Australian Alps, Southeastern New South Wales

Fire Severity and Plant Community Dynamics in Montane Ecosystems in the Australian Alps, Southeastern New South Wales

Contextual Support Journal

Microbial activity and survival in soils dried at different rates - CSIRO Publishing

Preview of Long-term impacts of wildfire and logging on forest soils | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Long-term impacts of wildfire and logging on forest soils | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Long-term impacts of wildfire and logging on forest soils | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Preview of Long-term nitrogen & phosphorus additions reduce soil microbial respiration but increase its temperature sensitivity in a Tibetan alpine meadow - Tulane University

Long-term nitrogen & phosphorus additions reduce soil microbial respiration but increase its temperature sensitivity in a Tibetan alpine meadow - Tulane University

Cross Reference Journal

Long-term nitrogen & phosphorus additions reduce soil microbial respiration but increase its temperature sensitivity in a Tibetan alpine meadow - Tulane University

Preview of Microbial Degradation of Plant Residues Rapidly Causes Long-Lasting Hypoxia in Soil upon Irrigation and Affects Leaching of Nitrogen and Metals - ResearchGate

Microbial Degradation of Plant Residues Rapidly Causes Long-Lasting Hypoxia in Soil upon Irrigation and Affects Leaching of Nitrogen and Metals - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Microbial Degradation of Plant Residues Rapidly Causes Long-Lasting Hypoxia in Soil upon Irrigation and Affects Leaching of Nitrogen and Metals - ResearchGate

Preview of Microbiological Indicators for Assessing the Effects of Agricultural Practices on Soil Health: A Review - MDPI, accessed on June 5, 2025

Microbiological Indicators for Assessing the Effects of Agricultural Practices on Soil Health: A Review - MDPI, accessed on June 5, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Unraveling the Importance of Forest Structure and Composition Driving Soil Microbial and Enzymatic Responses in the Subtropical Forest Soils - MDPI

Preview of Soil Respiration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 30, 2025,

Soil Respiration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 30, 2025,

Methodology Source Journal

Temperate Grasslands - Greening Australia, accessed August 12, 2025,

Preview of Soil respiration declines with increasing nitrogen fertilization and is not related to productivity in long-term grassland experiments | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Soil respiration declines with increasing nitrogen fertilization and is not related to productivity in long-term grassland experiments | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Soil respiration declines with increasing nitrogen fertilization and is not related to productivity in long-term grassland experiments | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Preview of Soil respiration–driven CO2 pulses dominate Australia's flux variability - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Soil respiration–driven CO2 pulses dominate Australia's flux variability - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil respiration–driven CO2 pulses dominate Australia's flux variability - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Preview of Stronger compensatory thermal adaptation of soil microbial respiration with higher substrate availability | The ISME Journal | Oxford Academic

Stronger compensatory thermal adaptation of soil microbial respiration with higher substrate availability | The ISME Journal | Oxford Academic

Contextual Support Journal

Stronger compensatory thermal adaptation of soil microbial respiration with higher substrate availability | The ISME Journal | Oxford Academic

Preview of Temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon respiration along ... - BG

Temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon respiration along ... - BG

Contextual Support Journal

Assessment of the impact of forest harvesting operations on the physical parameters and microbiological components on a Mediterranean sandy soil in an Italian stone pine stand | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Preview of vegetation | Australian Alps National Parks

vegetation | Australian Alps National Parks

Contextual Support Journal

Shelterbelt design | Erosion | Soil | Farm management | Agriculture ..., accessed July 27, 2025

Preview of www.environment.nsw.gov.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,

www.environment.nsw.gov.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support

The Australian Alps Bioregion - Environment and Heritage, accessed on May 27, 2025,

Context

Region Australia
Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Pristine Reference
Vegetation Forest
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

Used as a proxy for identifying soils that likely represent the 'best available condition' for microbial respiration.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-FOR-SMR family.