Soil Structure & Compaction

AUS-TSR-LVG-SSC General High confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 2000

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MaximumOnly

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 13 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 12 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MaximumOnly Guard LowerThreshold Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

A penetration resistance > 2000 kPa is unequivocally representative of a degraded state for a pasture soil, where root growth is severely restricted or prevented.

Metric Definition:

Soil penetration resistance (PR) in kPa indicating mechanical impedance to root growth.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark marks the critical soil penetration resistance threshold above which pasture soils are degraded, severely restricting root growth and increasing erosion risk.

Justification:

Strong consensus from multiple sources including national resources and state agricultural bodies.

Sources (1)

Preview of Compaction | VRO - Victorian Resources Online, accessed July 28, 2025,

Compaction | VRO - Victorian Resources Online, accessed July 28, 2025, Journal

Soil Compaction Explained - Soil Quality Knowledge Base

View Source

Supporting Sources (22)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Comparing the effects of continuous and time-controlled grazing systems on soil characteristics in Southeast Queensland - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

(PDF) Comparing the effects of continuous and time-controlled grazing systems on soil characteristics in Southeast Queensland - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support

Phosphorus Distribution in Soils from Australian Dairy and Beef Rearing Pastoral Systems, accessed July 18, 2025,

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(PDF) Impacts of soil damage by grazing livestock on crop productivity

Contextual Support Journal

Early Response of Soil Properties and Function to Riparian Rainforest Restoration | PLOS One - Research journals

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(PDF) Improving soil physical fertility and crop yield on a clay soil in ...

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Dynamics of soil penetration resistance, moisture depletion pattern and crop productivity determined by mechanized cultivation and lifesaving irrigation in zero till blackgram - PMC - PubMed Central

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(PDF) The impact of deforestation and pasture abandonment on soil ...

Contextual Support Journal

Influence of soil compaction by farm machinery and livestock on water infiltration rate on grassland - ResearchGate

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Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Victoria, accessed July 19, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Soil health: the foundation of sustainable agriculture - 2001 ...

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Preview of Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space for time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space for time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Contextual Support Journal

View Source

Contextual Support Journal

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? - Great Barrier Reef Foundation, accessed July 28, 2025,

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Preview of Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina - project bedrock

Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina - project bedrock

Contextual Support Journal

Effects of Grazing on Water Erosion, Compaction and Infiltration on Grasslands - MDPI

View Source

Final report - MLA, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support

Queensland Government target of 70% late dry season ground cover for grazing lands 13

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Grazing systems – Recent Findings in Australia - Australian Rangeland Society -

Contextual Support Journal

Grazing systems – Recent Findings in Australia - Australian Rangeland Society -

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INNOVATIONS FOR REGENERATIVE LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT - Soils For Life

Contextual Support Journal

INNOVATIONS FOR REGENERATIVE LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT - Soils For Life

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Land Management Code of Practice - Sunwater

Contextual Support Journal

Sustaining the Wet Tropics | Russell River Catchment

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Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services - Frontiers, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 10, 2025,

View Source

Rangeland Soil Quality Compaction

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Rangeland Soil Quality Compaction

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SOIL CARBON EDITION - North Central Catchment Management Authority, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soil Compaction - Tas | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au

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Soil compaction and the architectural plasticity of root systems - PMC, accessed July 22, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Great Southern Pasture - Bulk Density - 0 - 10 cm - Soil Quality

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Soil Health Assessment Part IV: Soil Penetration Resistance and ...

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Health Assessment Part IV: Soil Penetration Resistance and ...

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Soil management for dairy and beef cattle grazing

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Penetration Resistance and Sugarcane Rooting Under Subsuperficial Drip Irrigation Levels

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Soil resistance to penetration and forage and root production at different grazing intensities

Contextual Support Journal

Soil resistance to penetration and forage and root production at different grazing intensities

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Preview of Sustainable and profitable grazing management in a highly variable environment‐evidence and insights from a long term grazing trial in northern Australia - UKnowledge, accessed July 25, 2025

Sustainable and profitable grazing management in a highly variable environment‐evidence and insights from a long term grazing trial in northern Australia - UKnowledge, accessed July 25, 2025

Contextual Support

July 2019 to June 2020 - Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan Action Report

View Source

Sustainable soil management in tropical agriculture - ResearchOnline@JCU

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers, accessed July 27, 2025,

View Source

Preview of The impact of deforestation and pasture abandonment on soil properties in the wet tropics of Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 18, 2025,

The impact of deforestation and pasture abandonment on soil properties in the wet tropics of Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support

Tool 6.7 Soil health benchmarks and guidelines for managing ..., accessed July 18, 2025,

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 21 Mar 2026

Notes

This threshold marks a critical ecological function failure requiring significant remediation. ConsistencyResolver applied 2026-03-23 00:14 UTC: BenchmarkValue 2000 → (check: MinAboveOptimalHigh, rationale: Clearing BenchmarkValue after moving the threshold to UpperThreshold to avoid duplication and ensure correct form assignment.) ConsistencyResolver applied 2026-03-23 00:14 UTC: UpperThreshold → 2000 (check: MinAboveOptimalHigh, rationale: The Notes state that penetration resistance > 2000 kPa indicates degradation, so this threshold is an upper limit. Moving the value to UpperThreshold will auto-correct the form to MaximumOnly, resolving the contradiction.) [Auto-corrected BenchmarkForm: MinimumOnly → MaximumOnly]

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSR-LVG-SSC family.