Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-AKW-CON-SWI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

30 mm/hr
Direction: Higher 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 6 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 5 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

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

Evidence & Context

A reference value of 30 mm/hr is selected as the benchmark for the best available condition.

Metric Definition:

Soil water infiltration rate within vegetated patches (groves/runon zones) in Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands under conservation management.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the best available condition for soil water infiltration in vegetated patches of Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands under conservation management, indicating well-structured soil capable of rapid water absorption.

Justification:

Derived from highly relevant ecological analogues (arid chenopod shrublands in conservation research sites), not from direct measurements within the target karstic protected areas where data is unavailable.

Sources (1)

Preview of Observations of soil moisture and infiltrability in contour-aligned, banded chenopod shrubland at Fowlers Gap, arid western NSW, Australia
Observations of soil moisture and infiltrability in contour-aligned, banded chenopod shrubland at Fowlers Gap, arid western NSW, Australia GreyLiterature

Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate

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Supporting Sources (5)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of A comparison of the soils from two areas of sorted step chenopod patterned ground, at Fowlers Gap Field Station, western New South Wales. | Request PDF - ResearchGate
A comparison of the soils from two areas of sorted step chenopod patterned ground, at Fowlers Gap Field Station, western New South Wales. | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

A comparison of the soils from two areas of sorted step chenopod patterned ground, at Fowlers Gap Field Station, western New South Wales. | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Critical review of the impacts of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon storage and other soil quality indicators in extensively managed grasslands - PubMed Central
Critical review of the impacts of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon storage and other soil quality indicators in extensively managed grasslands - PubMed Central
Contextual Support

Critical review of the impacts of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon storage and other soil quality indicators in extensively managed grasslands - PubMed Central

View Source
Preview of Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina - Project Bedrock

View Source
Preview of Soil Infiltration Properties Are Affected by Typical Plant Communities in a Semi-Arid Desert Grassland in China - MDPI
Soil Infiltration Properties Are Affected by Typical Plant Communities in a Semi-Arid Desert Grassland in China - MDPI
Contextual Support Journal

How does building healthy soils impact sustainable use of water resources in irrigated agriculture? | Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene | University of California Press

View Source
Preview of Summary of infiltration rates in arid and semiarid regions of the world, with an annotated bibliography By MS Bedinger US
Summary of infiltration rates in arid and semiarid regions of the world, with an annotated bibliography By MS Bedinger US
Contextual Support Journal

Water Infiltration Rates into Unponded and Ponded Soils in Central Australia - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 4 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. This benchmark specifically applies to infiltration rate within vegetated patches (groves/runon zones), not as a landscape average.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AKW-CON-SWI family.

10 mm/hr Low
Conservation / Protected Natural Areas · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Active v1