Soil pH — Benchmark Detail - Nature Index

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 6 to 7.5 pH

Optimal Range: 6 to 7.5

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. The scoring engine uses 19 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 18 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard UpperThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard UpperThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard UpperThreshold Guard MinimumOnly Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard UpperThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard UpperThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

Therefore, the proposed benchmark for the best available ecological condition is a range of pH(CaCl₂) 6.0 - 7.5.

Metric Definition:

Soil pH measured in calcium chloride solution (pH (CaCl2))

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the best available ecological condition for soil pH in Australian Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands under livestock grazing and pasture land use, indicating an optimal pH range of 6.0 to 7.5 for healthy soil function.

Justification:

It represents optimal ecological function, reflects best-practice outcomes, acknowledges natural baselines, and is aspirational but achievable.

Sources (1)

Preview of Sustainable Agriculture: Managing soil acidity in the Northern and Yorke Region

Sustainable Agriculture: Managing soil acidity in the Northern and Yorke Region

Supporting Sources (34)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) The pH of Australian soils: field results from a national survey - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025,

(PDF) The pH of Australian soils: field results from a national survey - ResearchGate, accessed July 25, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Soil pH | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government, accessed August 28, 2025,

Preview of accessed July 28

accessed July 28

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Agriculture Victoria. (2024). Soil acidity.

Agriculture Victoria. (2024). Soil acidity.

Contextual Support

Soil acidity | Soil | Farm management - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 28, 2025

Preview of Australia - Plateau, Outback, Deserts | Britannica, accessed July 28, 2025,

Australia - Plateau, Outback, Deserts | Britannica, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Australia - Plateau, Outback, Deserts | Britannica, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 2, 2025,

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed August 2, 2025,

Direct Evidence Government

Northern and Yorke | Soil management - Landscape South Australia, accessed July 28, 2025

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

Preview of Do regenerative grazing management practices ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 12, 2025

Do regenerative grazing management practices ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 12, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 28, 2025,

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

9. Grazing management in rangeland grassland systems in South and East Australia - Infoteca-e, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Farming more sustainably by managing soil acidity, accessed July 28, 2025,

Farming more sustainably by managing soil acidity, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil pH Explained - Soil Quality Knowledge Base, accessed July 28, 2025

Preview of Flinders Ranges - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, accessed July 29, 2025,

Flinders Ranges - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, accessed July 29, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Flinders Ranges - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Grazing management for healthy soils, accessed July 28, 2025,

Grazing management for healthy soils, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil pH Explained - Soil Quality Knowledge Base, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Great Dividing Range - Wikipedia

Great Dividing Range - Wikipedia

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Great Dividing Range - Wikipedia, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Impact of phosphorus fertiliser on tropical pasture legume production - Agronomy Australia Proceedings, accessed July 28, 2025,

Impact of phosphorus fertiliser on tropical pasture legume production - Agronomy Australia Proceedings, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Tool 6.7 Soil health benchmarks and guidelines for managing problem soils, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services - Frontiers, accessed July 30, 2025,

Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services - Frontiers, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from a space-for-time study in the Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 10, 2025,

Preview of Managing Soil Acidity - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 28, 2025,

Managing Soil Acidity - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing Soil Acidity - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of National Soil Strategy, accessed August 3, 2025,

National Soil Strategy, accessed August 3, 2025,

Contextual Support

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of NSW Department of Primary Industries. (2021). Soil Acidity and Liming (AC.19).

NSW Department of Primary Industries. (2021). Soil Acidity and Liming (AC.19).

Contextual Support Government

Soil acidity and liming. 4th edition 2021 - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Pastures and acid soils - NSW Government

Pastures and acid soils - NSW Government

Contextual Support Journal

What do you see and when? What could this indicate? What test can I do to confirm? - MLA

Preview of Procedure for Soil Respiration (CO2 Evolution from Rewetting a Dried Soil) - Soil Fertility, accessed July 9, 2025

Procedure for Soil Respiration (CO2 Evolution from Rewetting a Dried Soil) - Soil Fertility, accessed July 9, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil pH and Organic Matter - MSU Extension | Montana State University, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Prospects for sustainable use of the pastoral ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 28, 2025,

Prospects for sustainable use of the pastoral ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Grazing management of Australian native ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Regenerative agriculture across continents: same principles, different systems | .Meat & Livestock Australia - MLA, accessed July 25, 2025

Regenerative agriculture across continents: same principles, different systems | .Meat & Livestock Australia - MLA, accessed July 25, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

A survey comparing regeneratively and conventionally managed ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture Australia: Benefits and Practices - SONIC Natural Farming

Regenerative Agriculture Australia: Benefits and Practices - SONIC Natural Farming

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Do regenerative grazing management practices improve vegetation and soil health in grazed rangelands? Preliminary insights from, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Soil Acidity - Ag Excellence Alliance, accessed July 10, 2025,

Soil Acidity - Ag Excellence Alliance, accessed July 10, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil pH and Microbial Life - Number Analytics, accessed July 7, 2025,

Preview of Soil Analysis Results for Pastures - Northern Territory Government, accessed July 28, 2025,

Soil Analysis Results for Pastures - Northern Territory Government, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soil Analysis Results for Pastures - Northern Territory Government, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,

Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil pH | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government, accessed July 28, 2025

Preview of Soil pH - SA | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au

Soil pH - SA | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au

Contextual Support Government

Soil pH - SA | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 30, 2025,

Preview of SoilQuality.org.au. (n.d.). Soil Acidity Factsheet.

SoilQuality.org.au. (n.d.). Soil Acidity Factsheet.

Contextual Support

Soil Acidity | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed August 28, 2025,

Preview of Sustainable Land Use Enhances Soil Microbial Respiration Responses to Experimental Heat Stress - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 9, 2025

Sustainable Land Use Enhances Soil Microbial Respiration Responses to Experimental Heat Stress - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 9, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Heavy grazing reduces soil bacterial diversity by increasing soil pH ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of The Ecograze Project - developing guidelines to better ... - FutureBeef, accessed July 10, 2025,

The Ecograze Project - developing guidelines to better ... - FutureBeef, accessed July 10, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The Ecograze Project - developing guidelines to better manage grazing country - FutureBeef, accessed July 24, 2025

Preview of The pH of Australian soils: field results from a national survey - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 25, 2025,

The pH of Australian soils: field results from a national survey - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 25, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

The pH of Australian soils: field results from a national survey - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025,

Preview of The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed August 4, 2025,

The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture Program restoring soil pH case study ..., accessed August 28, 2025,

Preview of The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed July 28, 2025,

The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Understanding pH: Success Stories: Growing Sollutions to Soil pH Challenges, accessed July 28, 2025,

Understanding pH: Success Stories: Growing Sollutions to Soil pH Challenges, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Understanding pH: Success Stories: Growing Sollutions to Soil pH Challenges, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Western Arid Region Land Use Study, Part 4 - Queensland ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Western Arid Region Land Use Study, Part 4 - Queensland ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Western Arid Region Land Use Study, Part 4 - Queensland ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 24 Mar 2026

Notes

The benchmark range avoids the lower critical threshold of <4.8-5.0 and the upper detrimental threshold of >8.0, reflecting outcomes of regenerative grazing and balancing risks of acidification and alkalinity.