Soil Nitrogen

AUS-TSR-FOR-SON General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 3000 to 5500 mg/kg

Optimal Range: 3000 to 5500

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

An optimal functional range for maintaining both productivity and ecological integrity is proposed as 3000 – 5500 mg/kg.

Metric Definition:

Total Soil Nitrogen in the topsoil (0-10 cm)

Benchmark Definition:

This range defines the optimal soil nitrogen levels in the topsoil (0-10 cm) that support both productivity and ecological integrity in subtropical Australian production forestry.

Justification:

This range avoids nitrogen deficiency while staying below levels associated with nitrogen saturation, supporting robust growth and ecosystem function without negative environmental externalities.

Sources (1)

Preview of Soil carbon and nutrient pools, microbial properties and gross nitrogen transformations in adjacent natural forest and hoop pine plantations of subtropical Australia

Soil carbon and nutrient pools, microbial properties and gross nitrogen transformations in adjacent natural forest and hoop pine plantations of subtropical Australia

Soil carbon and nutrient pools, microbial properties and gross nitrogen transformations in adjacent natural forest and hoop pine plantations of subtropical Australia

Supporting Sources (27)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization in Relation to Soil Particle-Size Fractions after 32 Years of Chemical and Manure Application in a Continuous Maize Cropping System, accessed July 19, 2025

Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization in Relation to Soil Particle-Size Fractions after 32 Years of Chemical and Manure Application in a Continuous Maize Cropping System, accessed July 19, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon and nutrient pools, microbial properties and gross nitrogen transformations in adjacent natural forest and hoop pine plantations of subtropical Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025

Preview of Hoop pine - Araucaria (plantations), accessed July 19, 2025,

Hoop pine - Araucaria (plantations), accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Hoop pine - Araucaria (plantations), accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Impacts of forest conversion to plantations on the soil carbon and ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Impacts of forest conversion to plantations on the soil carbon and ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Impacts of forest conversion to plantations on the soil carbon and ..., accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of IN SITU MEASUREMENTS OF SOIL MINERAL ... - CiteSeerX, accessed July 19, 2025,

IN SITU MEASUREMENTS OF SOIL MINERAL ... - CiteSeerX, accessed July 19, 2025,

Irrelevant Government

Hoop pine | Business Queensland, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Influence of environmental conditions and some soil chemical properties on the carbon and nitrogen contents of some tropical Australian rainforest soils - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research, accessed August 2, 2025

Influence of environmental conditions and some soil chemical properties on the carbon and nitrogen contents of some tropical Australian rainforest soils - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research, accessed August 2, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Influence of environmental conditions and some soil chemical properties on the carbon and nitrogen contents of some tropical Australian rainforest soils - ResearchGate, accessed August 2, 2025

Preview of Influence of nitrogen fertilization on abundance and diversity of plants and animals in temperate and boreal forests - Canadian Science Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Influence of nitrogen fertilization on abundance and diversity of plants and animals in temperate and boreal forests - Canadian Science Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Influence of nitrogen fertilization on abundance and diversity of plants and animals in temperate and boreal forests - Canadian Science Publishing, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Natural levels of nitrogen in tropical forests may increase vulnerability to pollution, accessed July 19, 2025,

Natural levels of nitrogen in tropical forests may increase vulnerability to pollution, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Natural levels of nitrogen in tropical forests may increase vulnerability to pollution, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Nitrogen may limit natural climate solutions - EurekAlert!, accessed July 19, 2025,

Nitrogen may limit natural climate solutions - EurekAlert!, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support

Nitrogen may limit natural climate solutions - EurekAlert!, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Nitrogen pollution linked to shift in plant distribution - The University of Western Australia, accessed July 19, 2025,

Nitrogen pollution linked to shift in plant distribution - The University of Western Australia, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Nitrogen pollution linked to shift in plant distribution - The University of Western Australia, accessed July 19, 2025,

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

Preview of Practice Guide: Improving Nitrogen Cycling and Efficiency - Soils For Life, accessed July 19, 2025,

Practice Guide: Improving Nitrogen Cycling and Efficiency - Soils For Life, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Practice Guide: Improving Nitrogen Cycling and Efficiency - Soils For Life, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Rainforest - WetlandInfo - Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, accessed July 18, 2025,

Rainforest - WetlandInfo - Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Nutrient distribution and cycling in a subtropical rainforest in New South Wales, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics in a Vertisol following 50 years of ...

Soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics in a Vertisol following 50 years of ...

Contextual Support Journal

The nitrogen book: Principles of soil nitrogen fertility management in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales farming, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND FOREST FLOOR NUTRIENTS UNDER REPEATED PRESCRIBED- BURNING IN - Scion, accessed July 19, 2025,

SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND FOREST FLOOR NUTRIENTS UNDER REPEATED PRESCRIBED- BURNING IN - Scion, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Long-term Vegetation Changes on Alpine Summits in Response to Global Drivers of Change, accessed March 28, 2026,

Preview of Soil nitrogen dynamics in natural forest ecosystem: a review - Frontiers, accessed July 19, 2025,

Soil nitrogen dynamics in natural forest ecosystem: a review - Frontiers, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil nitrogen dynamics in natural forest ecosystem: a review - Frontiers, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Soil Nitrogen Dynamics Under Adjacent Native Forest and ... - NSERL, accessed July 19, 2025,

Soil Nitrogen Dynamics Under Adjacent Native Forest and ... - NSERL, accessed July 19, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil Nitrogen Dynamics Under Adjacent Native Forest and ... - NSERL, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Soil Nitrogen Supply | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 25, 2025,

Soil Nitrogen Supply | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soil Nitrogen Supply | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Srivastava, S. C., & Singh, J. S. (1989). Effect of cultivation on microbial biomass C and N of a dry tropical forest soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 8(4), 343-348.

Srivastava, S. C., & Singh, J. S. (1989). Effect of cultivation on microbial biomass C and N of a dry tropical forest soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 8(4), 343-348.

Contextual Support Journal

Top 6 Sustainable Forest Management Techniques, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Study suggests natural areas may acquire too little nitrogen to repair climate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Study suggests natural areas may acquire too little nitrogen to repair climate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Study suggests natural areas may acquire too little nitrogen to repair climate, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Sustaining forest soil quality and productivity [Chapter 3], accessed August 10, 2025,

Sustaining forest soil quality and productivity [Chapter 3], accessed August 10, 2025,

Contextual Support

Guidelines for Plantation forestry in south australia 2009 - Department of Primary Industries and Regions, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of The detrimental effect of rainforest conversion to rubber plantations on soil dissolved organic carbon and C: N stoichiometry, mediated by altered soil biogeochemistry - PubMed, accessed July 19, 2025,

The detrimental effect of rainforest conversion to rubber plantations on soil dissolved organic carbon and C: N stoichiometry, mediated by altered soil biogeochemistry - PubMed, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The detrimental effect of rainforest conversion to rubber plantations on soil dissolved organic carbon and C: N stoichiometry, mediated by altered soil biogeochemistry - PubMed, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of The downside of nitrogen fertilizer - Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, accessed July 19, 2025,

The downside of nitrogen fertilizer - Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The downside of nitrogen fertilizer - Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of The nitrogen book: Principles of soil nitrogen fertility management in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales farming

The nitrogen book: Principles of soil nitrogen fertility management in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales farming

Contextual Support Journal

Soil condition | NSW State of the Environment, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of The nitrogen book: Principles of soil nitrogen fertility management in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales farming, accessed July 19, 2025,

The nitrogen book: Principles of soil nitrogen fertility management in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales farming, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The nitrogen book: Principles of soil nitrogen fertility management in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales farming, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of The simulated N deposition accelerates net N mineralization and nitrification in a tropical forest soil - BG, accessed July 19, 2025,

The simulated N deposition accelerates net N mineralization and nitrification in a tropical forest soil - BG, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support

The simulated N deposition accelerates net N mineralization and nitrification in a tropical forest soil - BG, accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of Top 6 Sustainable Forest Management Techniques, accessed July 12, 2025,

Top 6 Sustainable Forest Management Techniques, accessed July 12, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Sustaining forest soil quality and productivity [Chapter 3], accessed July 19, 2025,

Preview of What you need to know about nitrogen pollution | Pursuit by the University of Melbourne, accessed July 19, 2025,

What you need to know about nitrogen pollution | Pursuit by the University of Melbourne, accessed July 19, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

What you need to know about nitrogen pollution | Pursuit by the University of Melbourne, accessed July 19, 2025,

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Healthy Operational Range
Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 24 Mar 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. The optimal range represents a 'safe operating space' that supports high productivity and ecological function while minimizing the risks of both nutrient deficiency and nutrient pollution.

Related Benchmarks

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