Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-ASC-FOR-SWI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

15 mm/hr

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Contributing Benchmarks

CompositeFramework Primary OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

A soil water infiltration rate of <15 mm/hr, and particularly values <5²10 mm/hr, are considered critically low for maintaining essential natural functions and long-term productivity in alpine/subalpine production forestry.

Metric Definition:

Soil water infiltration rate (SWIR) is a critical indicator of soil health, directly reflecting the soil's capacity to absorb and transmit water from the surface into the soil profile.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the maximum soil water infiltration rate threshold below which soil function and productivity are critically impaired in alpine and subalpine production forestry.

Justification:

This threshold is primarily derived from studies quantifying the impact of soil compaction due to forestry operations on Ksat, with Ksat on snig tracks and log landings showing significant reductions.

Sources (2)

Preview of Quantification of diffuse pathways for overland flow between the roads and streams of the Mountain Ash forests of central Victoria Australia - ResearchGate

Quantification of diffuse pathways for overland flow between the roads and streams of the Mountain Ash forests of central Victoria Australia - ResearchGate Journal

Quantification of diffuse pathways for overland flow between the roads and streams of the Mountain Ash forests of central Victoria Australia - ResearchGate

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Preview of SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM

SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM Journal

Rainfall infiltration and soil hydrological characteristics below ancient forest, planted forest and grassland in a temperate northern climate

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Supporting Sources (11)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Australia's State of the Forests Report 2018 13 Criterion 4 - DAFF, accessed August 1, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Temperate forests and soils [Chapter 6]

View Source

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

Direct Evidence Journal

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

View Source

Extract soil water infiltration rates and Ksat values for Alpine Ash forests from Sheridan et al. research.

Contextual Support Journal

Infiltration rates in subalpine forested catchments

View Source

Influence of Vegetation Cover and Soil Properties on Water Infiltration: A Study in High-Andean Ecosystems of Peru - MDPI

Contextual Support Journal

FACT SHEET - UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

View Source

logging and water - The Australia Institute, accessed July 31, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

National Guidelines for Water Quality - Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, accessed July 31, 2025,

View Source

Managing soil disturbance - EPA Victoria

Contextual Support Journal

Managing soil disturbance - EPA Victoria

View Source

Rehabilitation Field Guide | Australian Alps National Parks, accessed on May 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

A strategy for dealing with invasive species in Australia

View Source

Saturated hydraulic conductivity in wet Eucalyptus forest

Direct Evidence

Saturated hydraulic conductivity in wet Eucalyptus forest

View Source

Soil Infiltration - Technical Information Sheet - Port Stephens Council

Regulatory Framework Journal

Geotechnical testing requirements for infiltration systems

View Source

The Australian Alps rehabilitation manual

Direct Evidence Journal

Invasive Species Research - Research Centre for Applied Alpine Ecology

View Source

Variation in hillslope-scale erosion processes following a severe fire in Victoria

Direct Evidence Journal

Variation in hillslope-scale erosion processes following a severe fire in Victoria

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Rejected
Version 1
Effective From 3 Jun 2026
Effective To 3 Jun 2026

Notes

Critically low SWIR leads to increased runoff, severe erosion, and compromised ecosystem function. Values below 15 mm/hr, especially below 5-10 mm/hr, indicate severe degradation. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one. Rejected 2026-06-03: Form inversion (MaximumOnly+UpperGuard on HID=1 indicator). For SWI, degradation is BELOW threshold — correct form is MinimumOnly+LowerGuard. That slot is already occupied by ID 1521 (100 mm/hr reference floor). The 15 mm/hr critical degradation level is retained in ID 1521 Notes.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-FOR-SWI family.