Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-ASC-LVG-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0.2 dS/m

Direction: Lower 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. 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

A lower critical threshold is identified at ECe <0.2 dS/m, which, while indicating extremely low salt content, could in some contexts signify potential nutrient poverty due to excessive leaching.

Metric Definition:

Electrical Conductivity of the saturated paste extract (ECe)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark marks the minimum soil electrical conductivity threshold below which nutrient poverty may occur due to excessive leaching in alpine and subalpine grasslands under conservation grazing.

Justification:

Values below 0.2 dS/m may indicate excessive leaching and a paucity of available nutrients.

Sources (1)

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

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

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

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

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

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture - NSW Department of Primary Industries

View Source

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

Direct Evidence Government

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

View Source

Context

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

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

This is a lower-bound harm threshold for a generally 'lower is better' indicator.

Related Benchmarks

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