Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-ASC-CON-SWI General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

5 mm/hr
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

A critically low SWIR, inferred to be consistently below 5-10 mm/hr for AHS or peat soils, would signify severe degradation, leading to increased runoff, erosion, and compromised ecosystem services.

Metric Definition:

A lower critical threshold for Soil Water Infiltration Rate (SWIR) below which significant ecological dysfunction occurs.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the minimum soil water infiltration rate below which soil function is severely impaired, indicating severe degradation in Alpine Humus and Peat Soils.

Justification:

This threshold is inferred from ecological impacts of soil compaction and degradation documented in related studies, indicating severe functional loss below this rate.

Sources (1)

Preview of SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM
SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM Journal

Rainfall infiltration and soil hydrological characteristics below ancient forest, planted forest and grassland in a temperate northern climate

View Source

Supporting Sources (28)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south-eastern Australia, accessed on May 31, 2025
(PDF) Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south-eastern Australia, accessed on May 31, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Australia state of the environment 2021: land, accessed on May 28, 2025

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Preview of Australia state of the environment 2021: land, accessed May 11, 2025
Australia state of the environment 2021: land, accessed May 11, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Buffel grass in Queensland's semi-arid woodlands - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 13, 2025

View Source
Preview of Caring for our Australian Alps Catchments, accessed August 28, 2025,
Caring for our Australian Alps Catchments, accessed August 28, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Patterns of variation in Australian alpine soils and their relationships to parent material, vegetation formation, climate and t, accessed May 27, 2025

View Source
Preview of Distribution, nature and threats to soils of the Australian Alps: A review - ResearchGate, accessed August 28, 2025,
Distribution, nature and threats to soils of the Australian Alps: A review - ResearchGate, accessed August 28, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE FUTURE OF CATTLE GRAZING IN THE ALPINE NATIONAL PARK

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Preview of Ecosystem Services - Sci-Hub, accessed on May 28, 2025
Ecosystem Services - Sci-Hub, accessed on May 28, 2025
Contextual Support

Ecosystem Services - Sci-Hub, accessed on May 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Estimates of late Holocene soil production and erosion in the Snowy ...
Estimates of late Holocene soil production and erosion in the Snowy ...
Contextual Support Journal

A review of the potential impacts of different fire regimes on soil erosion and sedimentation, nutrient and carb - Environment and Heritage, accessed May 13, 2026,

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Preview of Forest cover and canopy health mapping in Australian subalpine landscape: supervised machine learnin - ANU Open Research, accessed May 13, 2026,
Forest cover and canopy health mapping in Australian subalpine landscape: supervised machine learnin - ANU Open Research, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

parks victoria technical series ecosystem conceptual models for ..., accessed May 13, 2026,

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Preview of Hillslope gully erosion in savanna rangelands tributary to the Great Barrier Reef: Investigation of hydrogeomorphic processes - USC Research Bank, accessed July 22, 2025,
Hillslope gully erosion in savanna rangelands tributary to the Great Barrier Reef: Investigation of hydrogeomorphic processes - USC Research Bank, accessed July 22, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Hillslope gully erosion in savanna rangelands tributary to the Great Barrier Reef: Investigation of hydrogeomorphic processes, sediment and nutrient yields (PhD Thesis)

View Source
Preview of Hydrologic Soil Group Mapping, Tasmania - Cloudfront.net, accessed May 13, 2026,
Hydrologic Soil Group Mapping, Tasmania - Cloudfront.net, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Hydrologic Soil Group Mapping, Tasmania - Cloudfront.net, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Hydrological investigations of soil and vegetation types in the lower, accessed May 13, 2026,
Hydrological investigations of soil and vegetation types in the lower, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Hydrological investigations of soil and vegetation types in the lower, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Impacts of experimental trampling on tall alpine herbfields and subalpine grasslands in the Australian Alps | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 28, 2025
Impacts of experimental trampling on tall alpine herbfields and subalpine grasslands in the Australian Alps | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Post-fire hillslope erosion response in a sub-alpine environment, south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Influence of Vegetation Cover and Soil Properties on Water Infiltration: A Study in High-Andean Ecosystems of Peru - MDPI, accessed May 13, 2026,
Influence of Vegetation Cover and Soil Properties on Water Infiltration: A Study in High-Andean Ecosystems of Peru - MDPI, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Effect of sheep and cattle treading damage on soil microporosity and soil water holding capacity | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Inland water - Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 20, 2025
Inland water - Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 20, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Land-based aquaculture - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA, accessed July 20, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Modelling Floodplain Vegetation Response to Climate Change, Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model Simulated LAI, Applying Different GCM's Future Climate Data and MODIS LAI Data - MDPI, accessed May 13, 2026,
Modelling Floodplain Vegetation Response to Climate Change, Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model Simulated LAI, Applying Different GCM's Future Climate Data and MODIS LAI Data - MDPI, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

PCT Benchmarks PQ, accessed April 6, 2026

View Source
Preview of OVERVIEW AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE SURFACE-WATER-INFILTRATION COMPONENT OF THE RAINFALL-RUNOFF PROCESS By R, accessed on May 28, 2025
OVERVIEW AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE SURFACE-WATER-INFILTRATION COMPONENT OF THE RAINFALL-RUNOFF PROCESS By R, accessed on May 28, 2025
Methodology Source Journal

OVERVIEW AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF METHODS FOR EVALUATING THE SURFACE-WATER-INFILTRATION COMPONENT OF THE RAINFALL-RUNOFF PROCESS By R, accessed on May 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Patterns of variation in Australian alpine soils and their relationships to parent material, vegetation formation, climate and topography | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025,
Patterns of variation in Australian alpine soils and their relationships to parent material, vegetation formation, climate and topography | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Water infiltration rate as affected by grazing land management ...

View Source
Preview of Post-fire hillslope erosion response in a sub-alpine environment, south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 28, 2025
Post-fire hillslope erosion response in a sub-alpine environment, south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed on May 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018 – Criterion 4 - DAFF

View Source
Preview of Quantifying the impact of rural land management on soil hydrology, accessed May 13, 2026,
Quantifying the impact of rural land management on soil hydrology, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Quantifying the impact of rural land management on soil hydrology, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source
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

Impacts of Camping and Trampling on Australian Alpine and Subalpine Vegetation and Soils - Griffith Research Online

View Source
Preview of Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review, accessed August 5, 2025,
Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 18, 2025

View Source
Preview of Review of hydrological modelling in the Australian Alps: from rainfall-runoff to physically based models - ResearchGate
Review of hydrological modelling in the Australian Alps: from rainfall-runoff to physically based models - ResearchGate
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Review of hydrological modelling in the Australian Alps: from rainfall-runoff to physically based models - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Role of eolian dust deposits in southeastern Australia
Role of eolian dust deposits in southeastern Australia
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Role of eolian dust deposits in landscape development and soil degradation in southeastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Shrub encroachment alters the spatial patterns of infiltration | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2026,
Shrub encroachment alters the spatial patterns of infiltration | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Shrub encroachment alters the spatial patterns of infiltration | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source
Preview of SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM (Data derived from research linked to Save our Snow Gum (SOSG) project and Australian Mountain Research Facility (AMRF))
SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM (Data derived from research linked to Save our Snow Gum (SOSG) project and Australian Mountain Research Facility (AMRF))
Contextual Support Journal

Dynamics of Sudanian Savanna-Woodland Ecosystem in Response to Disturbances - - Administrative page for SLU library

View Source
Preview of Soil Infiltration Properties Are Affected by Typical Plant Communities in a Semi-Arid Desert Grassland in China - MDPI
Soil Infiltration Properties Are Affected by Typical Plant Communities in a Semi-Arid Desert Grassland in China - MDPI
Contextual Support Journal

How does building healthy soils impact sustainable use of water resources in irrigated agriculture? | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene | University of California Press

View Source
Preview of theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 28, 2025
theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Caring for our Australian Alps Catchments, accessed on May 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 29, 2025,
theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 29, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Conservation in Alpine Catchments - The Kosciuszko Huts Association, accessed August 17, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Vegetation patterns and dynamics in the highland peatlands of eastern Victoria, Australia - Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology, accessed May 13, 2026,
Vegetation patterns and dynamics in the highland peatlands of eastern Victoria, Australia - Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology, accessed May 13, 2026,
Contextual Support Journal

Proceedings of Bushfire CRC & AFAC 2010 Conference Science Day 1 September, 2011 Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour E - DBCA library, accessed May 13, 2026,

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

Values below this threshold indicate severe degradation with increased runoff, erosion, and loss of ecosystem services. The exact value is inferred and not directly measured in alpine soils.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-CON-SWI family.

— mm/hr Moderate
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas ยท Conservation Target
OptimalRange Active v1