Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)
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 2 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 1 guard(s) constrain the result.
Contributing Benchmarks
Evidence & Context
For the specific context of this biome and its dominant Ferrosol soils, a lower critical threshold of <1.5% SOC is proposed.
Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) content in soil.
This benchmark represents the lower critical threshold of soil organic carbon below which essential soil functions are impaired in Ferrosol soils of the Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands biome under livestock grazing and pasture land use.
Below 1.5% SOC, soil aggregate stability is compromised, increasing erosion risk especially in friable Ferrosol soils of the biome.
Sources (3)
Is there a critical level of organic matter in the agricultural soils of temperate regions: A review | Request PDF - ResearchGate
View Source
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
View SourceSupporting Sources (3)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA
View SourceSparling, G. P. (1992). Ratio of microbial biomass carbon to soil organic carbon as a sensitive indicator of changes in soil organic matter. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 30(2), 195-207.
View SourceExploring Soil Carbon in the Mallee - Soils Connect, accessed July 6, 2025
View Source