Fungal:Bacterial Ratio

AUS-TSR-FOR-SFB General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

1 index
Thresholds: Lower: 1, Upper: —
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: LowerThreshold

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 5 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 4 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard

Evidence & Context

An F:B ratio falling below 1.0 signifies a fundamental state change from a fungal-dominated to a bacterial-dominated soil food web.

Metric Definition:

Fungal:Bacterial Ratio indicating the critical lower threshold below which forest soil function is impaired.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the critical lower threshold of the fungal to bacterial biomass ratio below which soil health is functionally impaired in tropical and subtropical rainforest soils under production forestry.

Justification:

An F:B ratio below 1.0 indicates a shift to a bacterial-dominated system inconsistent with forest health, characterized by poor soil structure and potential for nutrient loss.

Sources (2)

Preview of "Analyzing Your Fungal To Bacterial Ratio Results" (Microbiometer)
"Analyzing Your Fungal To Bacterial Ratio Results" (Microbiometer)
View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central, accessed July 18, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central, accessed July 18, 2025 Journal

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source

Supporting Sources (27)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Sustainable harvesting of tropical rainforests: Reply to Keto, Scott and Olsen, accessed July 21, 2025
(PDF) Sustainable harvesting of tropical rainforests: Reply to Keto, Scott and Olsen, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

A preliminary report: does reduced impact logging (RIL) mitigate non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions from natural production forests? - ResearchGate, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Age and Species of Eucalyptus Plantations Affect Soil Microbial ...
Age and Species of Eucalyptus Plantations Affect Soil Microbial ...
Contextual Support Journal

Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization - PMC, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Are Fungal to Bacterial Ratios (F:B Ratio) Important for Plant Growth? - Garden Myths, accessed July 28, 2025
Are Fungal to Bacterial Ratios (F:B Ratio) Important for Plant Growth? - Garden Myths, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed August 12, 2025
Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed August 12, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Victoria, accessed March 28, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 5, 2025,
Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Root Structure and Functioning for Efficient Acquisition of Phosphorus: Matching Morphological and Physiological Traits

View Source
Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed July 21, 2025
Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Agroforestry and Biodiversity - MDPI, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Biodiversity Conservation in the Context of Tropical Forest Management - World Bank Documents and Reports, accessed July 21, 2025
Biodiversity Conservation in the Context of Tropical Forest Management - World Bank Documents and Reports, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Forest Ecology and Management Reduced-impact logging: Challenges and opportunities, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Beyond Bacteria: The Importance of Fungi, Protozoa and Nematodes in Soil Microbiology, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Effect of strategic tillage in soil microbial communities in Vertisols from Queensland, Australia - UQ eSpace, accessed July 17, 2025
Effect of strategic tillage in soil microbial communities in Vertisols from Queensland, Australia - UQ eSpace, accessed July 17, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Effect of strategic tillage in soil microbial communities in Vertisols from Queensland, Australia - UQ eSpace, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Forest Ecology and Management Reduced-impact logging: Challenges and opportunities, accessed July 31, 2025
Forest Ecology and Management Reduced-impact logging: Challenges and opportunities, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support

Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Forest Soil Bacteria: Diversity, Involvement in Ecosystem Processes, and Response to Global Change - PubMed Central, accessed July 21, 2025
Forest Soil Bacteria: Diversity, Involvement in Ecosystem Processes, and Response to Global Change - PubMed Central, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Forest Soil Bacteria: Diversity, Involvement in Ecosystem Processes, and Response to Global Change - PubMed Central, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Fungal to Bacterial Ratios: What and Why? - Ward Laboratories, Inc., accessed July 18, 2025
Fungal to Bacterial Ratios: What and Why? - Ward Laboratories, Inc., accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 30, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,
Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed July 30, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Fungi to bacteria ratio: Historical misinterpretations and potential implications | Request PDF, accessed July 18, 2025
Fungi to bacteria ratio: Historical misinterpretations and potential implications | Request PDF, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed August 1, 2025

View Source
Preview of Fungi to bacteria ratio: Historical misinterpretations and potential implications | Request PDF, accessed July 21, 2025
Fungi to bacteria ratio: Historical misinterpretations and potential implications | Request PDF, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - Consensus, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Fungus and bacteria OH MY!! F:B Ratios explained - Mass Hydroponics
Fungus and bacteria OH MY!! F:B Ratios explained - Mass Hydroponics
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Microbial Compositions and Enzymes of a Forest Ecosystem in Alabama: Initial Response to Thinning and Burning Management Selections - Scientific Research Publishing, accessed July 21, 2025
Microbial Compositions and Enzymes of a Forest Ecosystem in Alabama: Initial Response to Thinning and Burning Management Selections - Scientific Research Publishing, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Selective logging impacts on soil microbial communities and functioning in Bornean tropical forest - NERC Open Research Archive, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Nutrient distribution and cycling in a subtropical ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 16, 2025,
Nutrient distribution and cycling in a subtropical ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 16, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Nutrient distribution and cycling in a subtropical ... - CSIRO Publishing

View Source
Preview of Polycyclic Selection System for the Tropical Rainforests of Northern Australia1 - USDA Forest Service
Polycyclic Selection System for the Tropical Rainforests of Northern Australia1 - USDA Forest Service
Contextual Support Journal

Selective logging impacts on soil microbial communities and functioning in Bornean tropical forest - Frontiers, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Selective logging impacts on soil microbial communities and functioning in Bornean tropical forest - PubMed Central, accessed July 21, 2025
Selective logging impacts on soil microbial communities and functioning in Bornean tropical forest - PubMed Central, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Selective logging impacts on soil microbial communities and functioning in Bornean tropical forest - ResearchGate, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil and Landscape Grid National Soil Attribute Maps - Soil Bacteria and Fungi Beta Diversity (3" resolution) - Release 1 - Research Data Australia, accessed July 21, 2025
Soil and Landscape Grid National Soil Attribute Maps - Soil Bacteria and Fungi Beta Diversity (3" resolution) - Release 1 - Research Data Australia, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil and Landscape Grid National Soil Attribute Maps - Soil Bacteria and Fungi Beta Diversity (3" resolution) - Release 1 - Research Data Australia, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025
Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed July 11, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Soil microbiome and biodiversity implications – are we ignoring cost-effective proxies of biodiversity measures? | TERN Australia, accessed on June 7, 2025,
Soil microbiome and biodiversity implications – are we ignoring cost-effective proxies of biodiversity measures? | TERN Australia, accessed on June 7, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil microbiome and biodiversity implications – are we ignoring cost-effective proxies of biodiversity measures? | TERN Australia, accessed August 9, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Soil-Related Bacterial and Fungal Infections - Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, accessed July 21, 2025
Soil-Related Bacterial and Fungal Infections - Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, accessed July 21, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil-Related Bacterial and Fungal Infections - Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed July 28, 2025
Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Analyzing your Fungal to Bacterial Ratio Results - microBIOMETER, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of The fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health - Farmer's Weekly, accessed July 28, 2025
The fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health - Farmer's Weekly, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 30, 2025,

View Source
Preview of What are the optimal fungal to bacterial biomass ratios for different crops? - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
What are the optimal fungal to bacterial biomass ratios for different crops? - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon ... - Frontiers, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 24 Mar 2026

Notes

This threshold marks a fundamental state change and severe degradation in forest soil ecosystems. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSR-FOR-SFB family.

— index Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1