Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TSW-CON-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 0.02 to 0.5 dS/m
Optimal Range: 0.02 to 0.5
Direction: Higher 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 10 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 9 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

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

Evidence & Context

The proposed optimal range is 0.02–0.5 dS/m (EC 1:5). This range is safely above the lower management trigger, encompasses the "best-on-offer" benchmark of 0.02–0.03 dS/m, and remains well below the 2.0 dS/m upper threshold where degradation is indicated.

Metric Definition:

Soil electrical conductivity (EC) is a measure of the ability of the soil solution to conduct an electrical current, reported in units of deciSiemens per meter (dS/m).

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the optimal soil electrical conductivity range to maintain healthy and resilient ecosystems in the temperate semi-arid shrublands and open woodlands biome.

Justification:

This range allows for natural variation while ensuring no salinity stress.

Sources (1)

Preview of Research on Soil Management and Conservation - MDPI
Research on Soil Management and Conservation - MDPI Journal

Research on Soil Management and Conservation - MDPI

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 21 Mar 2026

Notes

Corresponds to soils universally classified as 'non-saline' and represents a target zone for maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSW-CON-SEC family.

— dS/m High
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
2 dS/m Moderate
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Conservation Target
MaximumOnly Active v1
0.015 dS/m Moderate
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Conservation Target
MinimumOnly Active v1