Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TMS-AGR-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 1.8 to 2.5 %
Optimal Range: 1.8 to 2.5
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

a benchmark SOC range of 1.8% to 2.5% is proposed for fine-textured soils (e.g., Vertosols, clays) and 1.2% to 1.8% for coarser-textured soils (sands, loams) within this layer under sustained best-practice management.

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in the 0-10cm soil layer

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the optimal range of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in the 0-10cm soil layer for fine-textured soils under agricultural crop production in tropical monsoonal savannas, representing a target for sustainable land management.

Justification:

Represents a realistic target towards undisturbed native vegetation for high environmental health in agricultural systems.

Sources (33)

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(PDF) What Climate and Environmental Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture Practices? An Evidence Review - ResearchGate Journal

(PDF) What Climate and Environmental Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture Practices? An Evidence Review - ResearchGate

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Preview of Carbon accounting, land management, science and policy uncertainty in Australian savanna landscapes: introduction and overview - ResearchGate
Carbon accounting, land management, science and policy uncertainty in Australian savanna landscapes: introduction and overview - ResearchGate Journal

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Categories - soil organic carbon - CSIRO Data Access Portal

Categories - soil organic carbon - CSIRO Data Access Portal

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Conservation agriculture improves soil health and sustains crop yields after long-term warming - PMC - PubMed Central Journal

Conservation agriculture improves soil health and sustains crop yields after long-term warming - PMC - PubMed Central

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Cover Crop Options for Hot and Humid Areas - ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture GreyLiterature

Cover Crop Options for Hot and Humid Areas - ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

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DOCUMENTATION OF LITERATURE, DATA, AND MODELING ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT THE TREATMENT OF CSA PRACTICES THAT REDUCE AGRICULTURAL SOIL - USDA Journal

DOCUMENTATION OF LITERATURE, DATA, AND MODELING ANALYSIS TO SUPPORT THE TREATMENT OF CSA PRACTICES THAT REDUCE AGRICULTURAL SOIL - USDA

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Effect of cropping practices on soil organic carbon: evidence from long-term field experiments in Victoria, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025,

Effect of cropping practices on soil organic carbon: evidence from long-term field experiments in Victoria, Australia - ResearchGate

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Preview of Effect of Long-Term Conservation Tillage on Soil Physical Properties and Soil Health under Rice-Wheat Cropping System in Sub Tropical India - ResearchGate
Effect of Long-Term Conservation Tillage on Soil Physical Properties and Soil Health under Rice-Wheat Cropping System in Sub Tropical India - ResearchGate Journal

Effect of Long-Term Conservation Tillage on Soil Physical Properties and Soil Health under Rice-Wheat Cropping System in Sub Tropical India - ResearchGate

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Preview of Filling the Research Gap - The National Soil Carbon Program
Filling the Research Gap - The National Soil Carbon Program Journal

Filling the Research Gap - The National Soil Carbon Program

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Preview of Final Report 1 AOTGR1-66 POLICY DELIVERY ACTION ON THE GROUND 1 Application ID - Tweed Shire Council
Final Report 1 AOTGR1-66 POLICY DELIVERY ACTION ON THE GROUND 1 Application ID - Tweed Shire Council Journal

Final Report 1 AOTGR1-66 POLICY DELIVERY ACTION ON THE GROUND 1 Application ID - Tweed Shire Council

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Preview of How soil organic matter and carbon work! Data from 500 paired-site ...
How soil organic matter and carbon work! Data from 500 paired-site ... Journal

How soil organic matter and carbon work! Data from 500 paired-site ...

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Preview of Important constraints on soil organic carbon formation efficiency in subtropical and tropical grasslands - Research, accessed August 11, 2025
Important constraints on soil organic carbon formation efficiency in subtropical and tropical grasslands - Research, accessed August 11, 2025 Journal

Opposing patterns of carbon and nitrogen stability in soil organic matter fractions compared to whole soil - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

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Preview of Influence of Cover Crops and Fertility Management on Soil Health and Soil Microbial Community by Hannah Leigh Decker A thesis su - Auburn University
Influence of Cover Crops and Fertility Management on Soil Health and Soil Microbial Community by Hannah Leigh Decker A thesis su - Auburn University Journal

Influence of Cover Crops and Fertility Management on Soil Health and Soil Microbial Community by Hannah Leigh Decker A thesis su - Auburn University

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Preview of Long-term Impacts of Tillage and Cover Cropping on Soil Organic ...
Long-term Impacts of Tillage and Cover Cropping on Soil Organic ... Journal

Long-term Impacts of Tillage and Cover Cropping on Soil Organic ...

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Long-term land use change in Australia from native forest decreases all fractions of soil organic carbon, including resistant organic carbon, for cropping but not sown pasture - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025, Journal

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Preview of MANAGING SOIL ORGANIC MATTER - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
MANAGING SOIL ORGANIC MATTER - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Journal

MANAGING SOIL ORGANIC MATTER - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

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Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks and uncertainty - BG, accessed August 5, 2025 Journal

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

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Preview of Minimum tillage as climate-smart agriculture practice and its impact on food and nutrition security - PubMed Central
Minimum tillage as climate-smart agriculture practice and its impact on food and nutrition security - PubMed Central Journal

Cover crops and carbon stocks: How under-vine management influences SOC inputs and turnover in two vineyards - PubMed

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Preview of Negative correlation between soil salinity and soil organic carbon variability - PMC
Negative correlation between soil salinity and soil organic carbon variability - PMC Journal

Negative correlation between soil salinity and soil organic carbon variability - PMC

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Preview of Northern grazing carbon farming – integrating production and greenhouse gas outcomes 1 - FutureBeef
Northern grazing carbon farming – integrating production and greenhouse gas outcomes 1 - FutureBeef Journal

Northern grazing carbon farming – integrating production and greenhouse gas outcomes 1 - FutureBeef

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Preview of Optimal Fire Regimes for Soil Carbon Storage in Tropical Savannas of Northern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Optimal Fire Regimes for Soil Carbon Storage in Tropical Savannas of Northern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate Journal

Carbon balance of a tropical savanna of northern Australia - CiteSeerX

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Preview of Refining benchmarks for soil organic carbon in Australia's temperate forests - ResearchGate, accessed August 28, 2025,
Refining benchmarks for soil organic carbon in Australia's temperate forests - ResearchGate, accessed August 28, 2025, GreyLiterature

Refining benchmarks for soil organic carbon in Australia's temperate forests - ResearchGate

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Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025, Journal

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Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing
Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing Journal

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing

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

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria

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Preview of Soil health for vegetable production in Australia (Part 3 of 6) - DAF Qld
Soil health for vegetable production in Australia (Part 3 of 6) - DAF Qld

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Preview of Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Carbon Sequestration in Australian Tropical Soils
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Soil Quality and Its Management in Humid Subtropical and Tropical Environments - UKnowledge, accessed May 15, 2025,

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Preview of THREATS TO SOILS: GLOBAL TRENDS AND PERSPECTIVES - UNCCD
THREATS TO SOILS: GLOBAL TRENDS AND PERSPECTIVES - UNCCD Journal

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Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical Monsoonal Savannas
  • Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
  • Assessment Agricultural Biodiversity Target
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 5 Jun 2026

Notes

Primary reference depth is 0-10cm.

Related Benchmarks

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

— % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Agricultural Biodiversity Target
OptimalRange Active v1
1 % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Agricultural Biodiversity Target
MinimumOnly Active v1
0.6 % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Agricultural Biodiversity Target
MinimumOnly Active v1
— % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Agricultural Biodiversity Target
OptimalRange Active v1
— % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Agricultural Biodiversity Target
OptimalRange Active v1
— % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Agricultural Biodiversity Target
OptimalRange Active v1
4 % Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Agricultural Biodiversity Target
MaximumOnly Active v1