Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-AIF-FOR-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 2 to 8 dS/m

Optimal Range: 2 to 8

Direction: Lower 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. The scoring engine uses 12 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 11 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary UpperThreshold Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

The optimal range is proposed as 2 - 8 dS/m (ECe).

Metric Definition:

Soil Electrical Conductivity (ECe) measured as saturated paste extract, representing soil salinity affecting plant health.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the safe operating range of soil salinity for maintaining healthy and productive woodlands in Australian arid inland floodplains, with electrical conductivity between 2 and 8 dS/m.

Justification:

The lower bound of this range avoids the risks associated with excessively low salinity. The upper bound of 8 dS/m provides a conservative buffer below the observed onset of stress (~13 dS/m) and well below the detrimental threshold.

Sources (2)

Preview of Modelling vegetation health from the interaction of saline groundwater and flooding on the Chowilla floodplain, South Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 21, 2025,

Modelling vegetation health from the interaction of saline groundwater and flooding on the Chowilla floodplain, South Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 21, 2025, Journal

Modelling vegetation health from the interaction ... - CSIRO Publishing

View Source

Salinity and sodicity - Queensland Government publications Journal

Salinity and sodicity - Queensland Government publications

View Source

Supporting Sources (2)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Common soil types | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government, accessed August 9, 2025

Direct Evidence Government

Sodic & Alkaline Soil - Soil Quality Knowledge Base

View Source

Slavich et al. (1999) via Bioregional Assessments

Direct Evidence

Slavich et al. (1999) via Bioregional Assessments

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 3 Jun 2026

Notes

Maintaining soil EC within this range is a realistic and achievable goal for managers using environmental flows to leach salts from the root zone periodically. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AIF-FOR-SEC family.