Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-TSW-LVG-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 1.5 to 3 %
Optimal Range: 1.5 to 3
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Evidence & Context

An Optimal Range for resilient pasture productivity and overall ecosystem health is proposed as 1.5% to 3.0% SOC for most soil types in this biome.

Metric Definition:

Optimal range of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) concentration in the 0–10 cm soil layer supporting resilient ecosystem function

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the range of Soil Organic Carbon concentrations that support sustainable productivity and ecosystem health in the Australian semi-arid biome under livestock grazing.

Justification:

Inferred from surveys and case studies indicating healthy systems have SOC between 1.5% and 3.0%.

Sources (1)

Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef, accessed August 5, 2025,
Soil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef, accessed August 5, 2025, GreyLiterature

Soil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef

View Source

Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Soil carbon changes after establishing woodland and agroforestry trees in a grazed pasture
Soil carbon changes after establishing woodland and agroforestry trees in a grazed pasture
Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon changes after establishing woodland and agroforestry trees in a grazed pasture

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
  • Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

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

Notes

Soils within this range are likely to be in good condition, supporting resilient ecosystem functions without being at maximum carbon storage capacity. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.