Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TSW-CON-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 1.35 to 1.74 %
Optimal Range: 1.35 to 1.74
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 3 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 2 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

The "best-on-offer" reference values, representing the 75th percentile of observed SOC in high-functioning pasture systems, range from approximately 1.35% for sandy soils to 1.74% for clay loam soils in the top 0-10 cm.

Metric Definition:

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

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the 75th percentile of Soil Organic Carbon concentrations in the top 0-10 cm of soil in high-functioning pasture systems, used as a proxy for the best available condition in conservation areas within the temperate semi-arid shrublands and open woodlands biome.

Justification:

Derived from a large-scale South Australian government dataset representing a robust proxy for high ecological health in water- and nutrient-limited environments.

Sources (1)

Preview of Soil Carbon in South Australia: Volume 4 - Benchmarks and Data analysis for the Agricultural Zone 1990-2007
Soil Carbon in South Australia: Volume 4 - Benchmarks and Data analysis for the Agricultural Zone 1990-2007 Journal

Soil Carbon in South Australia: Volume 4 - Benchmarks and Data analysis for the Agricultural Zone 1990-2007

View Source

Supporting Sources (12)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of ...
(PDF) Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of ...
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil condition | NSW State of the Environment

View Source
Preview of An ensemble estimate of Australian soil organic ... - EGUsphere, accessed on June 7, 2025,
An ensemble estimate of Australian soil organic ... - EGUsphere, accessed on June 7, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

An ensemble estimate of Australian soil organic carbon using machine learning and process-based modelling - EGUsphere

View Source
Preview of Baseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PubMed Central, accessed August 5, 2025,
Baseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PubMed Central, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Organic Matter and Carbon Sequestration

View Source
Preview of Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk - IRIS UniPA
Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk - IRIS UniPA
Direct Evidence Journal

Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk - IRIS UniPA

View Source
Preview of Key Considerations in Sequestering Carbon as Soil Organic Carbon, accessed July 26, 2025
Key Considerations in Sequestering Carbon as Soil Organic Carbon, accessed July 26, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Key Considerations in Sequestering Carbon as Soil Organic Carbon, accessed July 26, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil carbon monitoring and trends - Department for Environment and Water, accessed August 5, 2025,
Soil carbon monitoring and trends - Department for Environment and Water, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Soil carbon monitoring and trends - Department for Environment and Water

View Source
Preview of Soil Carbon Saturation: What Do We Really Know? - PMC - PubMed Central
Soil Carbon Saturation: What Do We Really Know? - PMC - PubMed Central
Contextual Support

Root Penetration Is Associated with Root Diameter and Root Growth ...

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

Managing cattle grazing intensity: effects on soil organic matter and soil nitrogen, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA
Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA
Contextual Support Government

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA

View Source
Preview of Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,
Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria

View Source
Preview of Soil field texture guide
Soil field texture guide
Contextual Support Journal

Soil field texture guide

View Source
Preview of Soil Monitoring for Conservation, Australia - Freaklabs
Soil Monitoring for Conservation, Australia - Freaklabs
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Monitoring for Conservation, Australia - Freaklabs

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

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

Notes

No detrimental upper threshold exists; the upper limit is defined by natural soil carbon saturation. Values vary by soil texture (sandy to clay loam soils), but stratification was not provided.