Microbial Biomass Carbon (MBC)
Benchmark Value
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 13 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 12 guard(s) constrain the result.
Evidence & Context
This post-recession value of 1600 mg/kg represents a system operating at its peak functional capacity.
Microbial Biomass Carbon (MBC) is a measure of the total carbon held within the living cells of microorganisms, primarily bacteria and fungi, in a given mass of soil.
This benchmark represents the peak functional capacity of microbial biomass carbon in soils under best-practice livestock grazing in Australia's Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems.
The value is chosen because it is the highest field-measured MBC value found in the literature directly situated within the target biome, representing the peak functional state during the natural flood pulse.
Sources (1)
Loss of Soil Carbon Associated with a Short-Duration Flood in a ...
View SourceSupporting Sources (2)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
grazing impacts on the spatial distribution of soil microbial biomass around tussock grasses in a tropical grassland - Publication : USDA ARS
View SourceMicrobial biomass and microbial biodiversity in some soils from New South Wales, Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
View Source