Bare Ground — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

22.1 %

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: Point

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 11 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 10 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

The reference value of 22.1% bare ground represents an achievable benchmark for high ecological health in sustainably managed livestock grazing systems within Australia's temperate semi-arid woodlands.

Metric Definition:

Bare Ground (%)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the percentage of bare ground that indicates high ecological health in sustainably managed livestock grazing systems within Australia's temperate semi-arid woodlands.

Justification:

This value is the 25th percentile derived from a national, multi-site analysis of TERN AusPlots field data, reflecting the condition of the top quartile of real-world managed sites.

Sources (2)

Preview of Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 18, 2025,

Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 18, 2025, Journal

Guppy, C.N., Waters, C.M., Hacker, R.B., et al. (2024). Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using dynamic regional comparison to document property-scale change. Rangeland Journal.

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, Journal

Pasture and grazing land: assessment of sustainability using invertebrate bioindicators

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 22 Mar 2026

Notes

This benchmark sits well within the optimal range for landscape function. The broader functional range for this indicator is defined by clear ecological thresholds: Lower Critical Threshold: Bare ground levels exceeding 50% represent a critical threshold where soils become highly vulnerable to significant wind and water erosion, leading to a loss of landscape function. Management should aim to maintain bare ground below 30% (>70% total ground cover) to effectively control water erosion, maximize rainfall infiltration, and support healthy, resilient pastures. The scientific literature provides no evidence of a detrimental upper threshold for ground cover; lower bare ground is consistently associated with improved ecosystem health.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSW-LVG-BAR family.