Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TBF-AGR-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

1.5 %

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: Point

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Contributing Benchmarks

CompositeFramework Primary MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard Point Guard CompositeFramework Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

Considering these key data points, the proposed reference value is 1.5% SOC (0-10cm).

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) concentration at 0-10 cm soil depth expressed as a percentage (%)

Benchmark Definition:

A scientifically defensible reference value for Soil Organic Carbon concentration at 0-10 cm depth in well-managed agricultural cropping systems within Australian Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests.

Justification:

The 1.5% value is strongly anchored by, and slightly more optimistic than, the 1.3% measured at Wagga Wagga. It aligns with the mean SOC (1.50%) observed across cropping lands in the Lower North agricultural district of South Australia, representing a realistic and broadly achievable level for well-managed cropping in temperate Australian conditions.

Sources (4)

Preview of Change in Organic Carbon in Forest Plantation Soils in Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025,

Change in Organic Carbon in Forest Plantation Soils in Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025, GreyLiterature

Temperate forests and soils [Chapter 6], accessed July 20, 2025,

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ON THE FARM - THE GOOD DIRT - Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority

ON THE FARM - THE GOOD DIRT - Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority

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Preview of Soil Organic Carbon Benchmarks by Rainfall and Texture

Soil Organic Carbon Benchmarks by Rainfall and Texture Journal

Blunden et al. (2024). Fire regime impacts on soil microbes, soil organic carbon and ground cover in an Australian tropical savanna.

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Preview of Soil organic carbon in cropping and pasture systems of Victoria ...

Soil organic carbon in cropping and pasture systems of Victoria ... Government

Soil organic carbon in cropping and pasture systems of Victoria ..., accessed May 7, 2025

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Supporting Sources (3)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

List of ecoregions in Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 28, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

List of ecoregions in Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 28, 2025

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$Preview of Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 8, 2025$

Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 8, 2025

Direct Evidence Government

ANSIS - Australian National Soil Information System - CSIRO, accessed May 7, 2025

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

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria

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Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical and Subtropical Broadleaf Forests
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 5 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. This value represents a robust target for well-managed cropping systems, acknowledging variability due to climate, soil texture, and management history. It is lower than native TBMF ecosystem SOC levels and pasture systems but is a practical benchmark for cropping systems. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.