Fungal:Bacterial Ratio

AUS-TSR-LVG-SFB General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

29 ratio

Range: 1 to 5 ratio

Thresholds: Lower: 0.75, Upper: —

Optimal Range: 1 to 5

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

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard LowerThreshold Guard UpperThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard Point Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard UpperThreshold Guard Point Guard

Evidence & Context

At the "Bokhara Plains" site, which is managed with regenerative principles and represents a stable native vegetation habitat, the Total Fungi to Total Bacteria (TF:TB) ratio, determined via microscopy, was measured to be 29:1.

Metric Definition:

The ratio of fungal to bacterial biomass (F:B ratio) is a powerful integrated indicator of soil ecosystem structure, function, and stability.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the fungal to bacterial biomass ratio in soil as an indicator of soil ecosystem health and function in tropical and subtropical rainforest grazing lands in Australia. A higher ratio indicates a more fungal-dominated, stable soil ecosystem.

Justification:

This value is from "Bokhara Plains," a regeneratively managed grazing property in the Australian rangelands, representing the best-on-offer documented outcome for a high-health grazing system in Australia. It serves as an aspirational target.

Supporting Sources (19)

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,

Preview of (PDF) The measurement of soil fungal:bacterial biomass ratios as an ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

(PDF) The measurement of soil fungal:bacterial biomass ratios as an ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Methodology Source Journal

Soil microbial community composition under Eucalyptus plantations of different age in subtropical China - ResearchGate, accessed July 23, 2025

Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 5, 2025,

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Root Structure and Functioning for Efficient Acquisition of Phosphorus: Matching Morphological and Physiological Traits

Preview of Comparing the effects of continuous and time-controlled grazing systems on soil characteristics in Southeast Queensland - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Comparing the effects of continuous and time-controlled grazing systems on soil characteristics in Southeast Queensland - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Comparing the effects of continuous and time-controlled grazing systems on soil characteristics in Southeast Queensland - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Comprehensive analysis of grazing intensity impacts alpine grasslands across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau - PubMed Central, accessed July 19, 2025,

Comprehensive analysis of grazing intensity impacts alpine grasslands across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau - PubMed Central, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Comprehensive analysis of grazing intensity impacts alpine grasslands across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau - PubMed Central, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Delivering continuous improvement of the farming resource - Soils For Life, accessed July 19, 2025,

Delivering continuous improvement of the farming resource - Soils For Life, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support

Delivering continuous improvement of the farming resource - Soils For Life, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Final report - MLA, accessed July 19, 2025,

Final report - MLA, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Direct Evidence

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

Preview of Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed July 30, 2025,

Preview of Grazing intensity influence soil microbial communities and their implications for soil respiration | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Grazing intensity influence soil microbial communities and their implications for soil respiration | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Grazing intensity influence soil microbial communities and their implications for soil respiration | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 11, 2025,

Preview of Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Preview of How Biodiversity-Friendly Is Regenerative Grazing? - Frontiers, accessed August 5, 2025,

How Biodiversity-Friendly Is Regenerative Grazing? - Frontiers, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem ... - Frontiers

Preview of Responses of communities of soil organisms and plants to soil aging at two contrasting long-term chronosequences | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Responses of communities of soil organisms and plants to soil aging at two contrasting long-term chronosequences | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Responses of communities of soil organisms and plants to soil aging at two contrasting long-term chronosequences | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Rhizosphere effects on soil nutrient dynamics and microbial activity in an Australian tropical lowland rainforest - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Rhizosphere effects on soil nutrient dynamics and microbial activity in an Australian tropical lowland rainforest - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Rhizosphere effects on soil nutrient dynamics and microbial activity in an Australian tropical lowland rainforest - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 13, 2025,

Preview of Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 19, 2025,

Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of The Cat's Cradle | US Biochar News, accessed July 19, 2025,

The Cat's Cradle | US Biochar News, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The Cat's Cradle | US Biochar News, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of The effect of forest to pasture conversion on soil biological diversity ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

The effect of forest to pasture conversion on soil biological diversity ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support

The effect of forest to pasture conversion on soil biological diversity ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Tropical Grasslands (2000) Volume 34, 223–229 - Change the management and what happens perspective, accessed July 19, 2025,

Tropical Grasslands (2000) Volume 34, 223–229 - Change the management and what happens perspective, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Tropical Grasslands (2000) Volume 34, 223–229 - Change the management and what happens perspective, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Tropical Rainforest Restoration Plantations Are Slow to Restore the ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Tropical Rainforest Restoration Plantations Are Slow to Restore the ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Tropical Rainforest Restoration Plantations Are Slow to Restore the ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Context

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

Lifecycle

Status Superseded
Version 1
Effective From 12 Mar 2026
Effective To 13 Mar 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 0.75 ratio. Optimal Range: 1 to 5 ratio. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. The benchmark value of 29 is an exceptional case indicating a strongly fungal-dominated system.

Related Benchmarks

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