Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-AMR-LVG-SWI General High confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 10 to 12 mm/hr
Optimal Range: 10 to 12
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.

Evidence & Context

The degraded "unponded" sites had infiltration rates of approximately 10–12 mm/hr.

Metric Definition:

Steady-state infiltration rate, reflecting a soil's stable capacity to transmit water.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark indicates the steady-state soil water infiltration rate range characteristic of degraded unponded sites, representing a threshold of poor hydrological function in this biome and land use context.

Justification:

Indicative of a landscape that has crossed the critical threshold into poor hydrological function.

Sources (1)

Preview of Summary of infiltration rates in arid and semiarid regions of the world, with an annotated bibliography By MS Bedinger US
Summary of infiltration rates in arid and semiarid regions of the world, with an annotated bibliography By MS Bedinger US Journal

Sustainable land management practices for graziers - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed July 10, 2025,

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Supporting Sources (4)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 6, 2025,
Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Infiltration.pdf - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed August 11, 2025

View Source
Preview of Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review, accessed August 5, 2025,
Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review

View Source
Preview of Restoration of degraded grazing country in the semi-arid areas of ..., accessed July 10, 2025,
Restoration of degraded grazing country in the semi-arid areas of ..., accessed July 10, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Pasture and grazing land: assessment of sustainability using invertebrate bioindicators

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
  • Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 22 Mar 2026

Notes

This range corresponds to infiltration rates where ground cover is below 40–50%, indicating landscape dysfunction.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AMR-LVG-SWI family.

— mm/hr High
Livestock Grazing & Pasture · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
— mm/hr High
Livestock Grazing & Pasture · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
— mm/hr High
Livestock Grazing & Pasture · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1