Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-ASC-LVG-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 0.2 to 1.8 dS/m

Optimal Range: 0.2 to 1.8

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: OptimalRange

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 3 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 2 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

The optimal range for Soil ECe is proposed as 0.2−1.8 dS/m.

Metric Definition:

Electrical Conductivity of the saturated paste extract (ECe)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the optimal soil electrical conductivity range for alpine and subalpine grasslands under conservation-focused livestock grazing, balancing nutrient availability and salinity stress avoidance.

Justification:

Avoids extreme leaching/nutrient poverty (<0.2) and salinity stress (>1.8).

Sources (1)

Preview of Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed May 12, 2025

Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed May 12, 2025 Government

Agriculture Victoria. (2025). Understanding soil tests for pastures. Farm Management.

View Source

Supporting Sources (5)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Australia state of the environment 2021: land, accessed May 11, 2025

Methodology Source Journal

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

View Source

Australian Soils and Landscapes | Monitoring & Data | TERN - esoil.io, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Australian Soils and Landscapes | Monitoring & Data | TERN - esoil.io

View Source

Preview of Grazing Intensity Modifies Soil Microbial Diversity and Their Co-Occurrence Networks in an Alpine Steppe, Central Tibet, accessed on June 5, 2025

Grazing Intensity Modifies Soil Microbial Diversity and Their Co-Occurrence Networks in an Alpine Steppe, Central Tibet, accessed on June 5, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services, accessed May 10, 2026

View Source

Grazing Management and Soil Health - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 19, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Correlates of grass-species composition in a savanna woodland in ..., accessed July 23, 2025,

View Source

Soil electrical conductivity (EC) is a measure of the amount ... - USDA

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture - NSW Department of Primary Industries

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Conservation Target
Vegetation Grassland
Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

Lower end of range (<1.0) is considered ideal.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-LVG-SEC family.