Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TMI-AGR-SOC General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

2.5 %

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 3 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 2 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary OptimalRange Guard Point Guard

Evidence & Context

Considering this evidence, a benchmark value of 2.5% SOC is proposed. This value sits above the identified optimal range for crop production, reflecting the enhanced carbon storage capacity of a truly regenerative system that has been managed for soil health over the long term.

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) concentration in the top 0–10 cm of soil under best-practice regenerative agricultural crop production.

Benchmark Definition:

A benchmark SOC concentration representing the best available condition for agricultural crop production in the tropical maritime islands biome, reflecting enhanced carbon storage in regenerative systems.

Justification:

Derived from proxy data from analogous mainland tropical agricultural systems with high-functioning regenerative management.

Sources (2)

Preview of a comparisonof the soils of tropical latin america ano tropical australia

a comparisonof the soils of tropical latin america ano tropical australia Journal

A comparison of the soil of tropical latin america and tropical australia

Preview of Soil Organic Carbon Thresholds and Nitrogen Management in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Prospects - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025,

Soil Organic Carbon Thresholds and Nitrogen Management in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Prospects - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025, Journal

Soil Organic Carbon Thresholds and Nitrogen Management in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Prospects - ResearchGate

Supporting Sources (38)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Soil Organic Carbon – Role in Rainfed Farming Systems With ...

(PDF) Soil Organic Carbon – Role in Rainfed Farming Systems With ...

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Organic Carbon – Role in Rainfed Farming Systems With Particular Reference to Australian Conditions - ResearchGate

Preview of Addressing the rundown of nitrogen and soil organic carbon - GRDC, accessed July 25, 2025,

Addressing the rundown of nitrogen and soil organic carbon - GRDC, accessed July 25, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil | Australia state of the environment 2021

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AGRICULTURAL AUDIT & LAND USE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ..., accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

VEGETATION 0}' LORD HOWE ISLAND - Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Preview of Australia's bioregions (IBRA) - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025

Australia's bioregions (IBRA) - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 7 (Regions)

Preview of Can best agricultural practices saturate the organic carbon in tropical soils? - ResearchGate

Can best agricultural practices saturate the organic carbon in tropical soils? - ResearchGate

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Can best agricultural practices saturate the organic carbon in tropical soils? - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025

Preview of Carbon farming | CottonInfo

Carbon farming | CottonInfo

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Carbon farming | CottonInfo

Preview of Characteristics and Drivers of Soil Organic Carbon Saturation Deficit in Karst Forests of China - MDPI

Characteristics and Drivers of Soil Organic Carbon Saturation Deficit in Karst Forests of China - MDPI

Contextual Support Journal

Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG

Preview of Climate of Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025

Climate of Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Climate of Australia - Wikipedia

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

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

Contextual Support Government

Sodic & Alkaline Soil - Soil Quality Knowledge Base

Preview of Common soil types | Environment, land and water | Queensland ...

Common soil types | Environment, land and water | Queensland ...

Contextual Support Government

Phosphorus nutrition of phosphorus-sensitive Australian native ...

Preview of critical soil organic carbon range for optimal crop response to mineral fertiliser nitrogen on a ferralsol - ResearchGate

critical soil organic carbon range for optimal crop response to mineral fertiliser nitrogen on a ferralsol - ResearchGate

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

critical soil organic carbon range for optimal crop response to mineral fertiliser nitrogen on a ferralsol - ResearchGate

Preview of critical soil organic carbon range for optimal crop response to mineral fertiliser nitrogen on a ferralsol - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025,

critical soil organic carbon range for optimal crop response to mineral fertiliser nitrogen on a ferralsol - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025,

Contextual Support

National Soil Strategy

Preview of Ecological Regions Of Australia - WorldAtlas, accessed July 27, 2025,

Ecological Regions Of Australia - WorldAtlas, accessed July 27, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Ecological Regions Of Australia - WorldAtlas, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Enhancing Organic Carbon Content in Tropical Soils: Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change Mitigation - ResearchGate

Enhancing Organic Carbon Content in Tropical Soils: Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change Mitigation - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

AGRICULTURAL AUDIT & LAND USE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT - Norfolk Island Regional Council

Preview of Growing soil organic carbon in dryland agricultural systems - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 6, 2025,

Growing soil organic carbon in dryland agricultural systems - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers, accessed July 8, 2025

Preview of HOW TO MEASURE AND INTERPRET RESULTS IN RELATION TO SOIL ORGANIC CARBON - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 5, 2025,

HOW TO MEASURE AND INTERPRET RESULTS IN RELATION TO SOIL ORGANIC CARBON - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 5, 2025,

Methodology Source Journal

(PDF) Soil organic carbon stocks in saline and sodic landscapes

Preview of Is there any optimum range for organic carbon found in tropical soils? - ResearchGate

Is there any optimum range for organic carbon found in tropical soils? - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Is there any optimum range for organic carbon found in tropical soils? - ResearchGate

Preview of Lord Howe Island Palms

Lord Howe Island Palms

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Lord Howe Island supports a once-contiguous population of palm trees. Two soil types emerged on the - Chegg

Preview of Managing soil organic carbon in tropical agroecosystems: evidence from four long-term experiments in Kenya - Agritrop

Managing soil organic carbon in tropical agroecosystems: evidence from four long-term experiments in Kenya - Agritrop

Contextual Support Journal

Managing soil organic carbon in tropical agroecosystems: evidence from four long-term experiments in Kenya - Agritrop

$Preview of Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 6, 2025,$

Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Benefits and trade-offs of soil organic carbon sequestration - OAPEN Library

Preview of National Soil Strategy, accessed August 3, 2025,

National Soil Strategy, accessed August 3, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

soils - of the australian alps

Preview of Norfolk Island Plant Communities - Jerry Coleby-Williams

Norfolk Island Plant Communities - Jerry Coleby-Williams

Contextual Support Journal

Norfolk Island Plant Communities - Jerry Coleby-Williams

Preview of Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers

Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Responses to controlled release potassium fertilisers in agriculture following phosphate mining - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research, accessed July 30, 2025,

Responses to controlled release potassium fertilisers in agriculture following phosphate mining - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Cocos nucifera L. - Forest Service, accessed July 30, 2025

Preview of Soil carbon | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government

Soil carbon | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil carbon | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government

Preview of Soil carbon saturation: Linking concept and measurable carbon pools

Soil carbon saturation: Linking concept and measurable carbon pools

Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon saturation: Linking concept and measurable carbon pools, accessed July 19, 2025

Preview of Soil Carbon Saturation: What Do We Really Know? - PMC - PubMed Central

Soil Carbon Saturation: What Do We Really Know? - PMC - PubMed Central

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Saturation: What Do We Really Know? - PMC - PubMed Central

Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Coexistence of shrubs and grass in a semi-arid landscape: a case study of mulga (Acacia aneura, Mimosaceae) shrublands embedded in fire-prone spinifex (Triodia pungens, Poaceae) hummock grasslands - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany

Preview of Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria

Preview of Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under Leucaena leucocephala pastures in Queensland - ResearchGate

Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under Leucaena leucocephala pastures in Queensland - ResearchGate

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under Leucaena leucocephala pastures in Queensland

Preview of Soil organic carbon is at risk in a large part of European agricultural land - EU Science Hub

Soil organic carbon is at risk in a large part of European agricultural land - EU Science Hub

Contextual Support Government

Soil carbon | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government, accessed July 19, 2025

Preview of Soil Organic Carbon Thresholds and Nitrogen Management in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Prospects - JRC Publications Repository, accessed August 3, 2025,

Soil Organic Carbon Thresholds and Nitrogen Management in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Prospects - JRC Publications Repository, accessed August 3, 2025,

Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

Soil Organic Carbon Thresholds and Nitrogen Management in Tropical Agroecosystems: Concepts and Prospects - JRC Publications Repository, accessed August 3, 2025

Preview of Soil organic matter in dryland systems – management and opportunities - GRDC

Soil organic matter in dryland systems – management and opportunities - GRDC

Contextual Support Government

Soil Respiration and Carbon Balance Under Cover Crop in a no-Till Tropical Fruit Orchard - Frontiers

Preview of The Stories Beneath the Soil: Norfolk Island's Unique Flora and Its Secrets

The Stories Beneath the Soil: Norfolk Island's Unique Flora and Its Secrets

Contextual Support Government

Pulu Keeling National Park Management Plan 2015-2025 - DCCEEW

Preview of The Stories Beneath the Soil: Norfolk Island's Unique Flora and Its Secrets, accessed July 25, 2025,

The Stories Beneath the Soil: Norfolk Island's Unique Flora and Its Secrets, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Geology - Norfolk Island Flora & Fauna Society

Preview of Too Much Organic Matter - Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Too Much Organic Matter - Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Too Much Organic Matter - Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Preview of Tropical Forests and Grasslands (Savanna) - Soils 4 Teachers

Tropical Forests and Grasslands (Savanna) - Soils 4 Teachers

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Tropical Forests and Grasslands (Savanna) - Soils 4 Teachers

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Conservation Target
Evidence Type TargetCondition

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 is a scientifically justified proxy due to lack of direct data in the target biome. It reflects a realistic yet ambitious target within observed ranges for Australian soils.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TMI-AGR-SOC family.