Bare Ground — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

50 %

Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 50

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MaximumOnly

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

Multiple government and industry sources identify a total ground cover level of approximately 50% as this critical trigger point.

Metric Definition:

Bare Ground (%)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the maximum tolerable bare ground level beyond which soils become highly vulnerable to erosion and landscape function is severely compromised in Australia's temperate semi-arid woodlands under livestock grazing.

Justification:

This 50% bare ground level should be considered the absolute maximum tolerable limit, representing a state of high risk rather than acceptable condition.

Sources (1)

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

Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

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,

Direct Evidence 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

Context

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

Lifecycle

Status Superseded
Version 1
Effective From 22 Mar 2026
Effective To 22 Mar 2026

Notes

Below this level of cover, the soil is highly vulnerable to wind erosion, particularly in the fine-textured soils common to the biome.

Related Benchmarks

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