Fungal:Bacterial Ratio
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 8 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 7 guard(s) constrain the result.
Evidence & Context
Literature from broader contexts suggests that F:B ratios persistently below 0.3 to 0.5 are indicative of highly disturbed, bacterially-dominated systems.
Fungal:Bacterial Ratio indicating the lower critical threshold below which ecological health is compromised.
Lower critical threshold of Fungal:Bacterial Ratio below which ecosystem health is significantly compromised in temperate dry woodlands and native grasslands under conservation.
Persistently low F:B ratios below 0.5 indicate disturbed, bacterially-dominated systems with compromised ecological health.
Sources (2)
Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen ...
View SourceThe fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health - Farmer's Weekly, accessed June 7, 2025,
View SourceSupporting Sources (3)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Adaptive multi-paddock grazing increases soil nutrient availability and bacteria to fungi ratio in grassland soils | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed August 9, 2025,
View SourceSoil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 21, 2025
View SourcePastures to woodlands: Changes in soil microbial communities and carbon following reforestation | Request PDF - ResearchGate
View Source