Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-AKW-LVG-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 0.02 to 0.05 dS/m

Optimal Range: 0.02 to 0.05

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: OptimalRange

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Based on the reference data 29, this baseline is approximately 0.02 - 0.05 dS/m (EC1:5).

Metric Definition:

Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC) measured as EC1:5, the electrical conductivity of a 1:5 soil-to-water suspension.

Benchmark Definition:

The natural baseline floor of soil electrical conductivity in the healthiest soils of Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands.

Justification:

This baseline represents the natural floor observed in the healthiest soils and is not a critical low threshold.

Great Western Woodlands BASE Contextual, Soil Physico-Chemical Data 2013 Government

Great Western Woodlands BASE Contextual, Soil Physico-Chemical Data 2013

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Great Western Woodlands SuperSite | Climate Change Impacts - TERN Australia, accessed July 10, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

URBAN FOREST STRATEGY - Your Say South Perth, accessed July 13, 2025

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

Contextual Support Government

Understanding soil tests for pastures

A critically low EC is not ecologically relevant in this biome; very low EC signifies a desirable low concentration of dissolved salts.

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