Litter Cover
Benchmark Value
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 litter cover below 40-50% is considered critically low, as it significantly increases the risk of wind and water erosion, a key threatening process in this environment.
Critical lower threshold of litter cover percentage below which soil erosion risk increases significantly.
This benchmark defines the critical lower threshold of litter cover percentage below which soil erosion risk increases significantly in the Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems biome under production forestry.
Supported by national ground cover monitoring programs and Queensland government guidelines indicating increased erosion risk below this threshold.
Sources (2)
Ground Cover Monitoring for Australia
View SourceQueensland government guidelines for managing soil erosion in grazing and cropping lands
View SourceSupporting Sources (3)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Restoration thinning has minor and temporary effects on understorey fuels in a regrowth eucalypt floodplain forest under conservation management - CSIRO Publishing
View SourceRestoration thinning in a recently reserved eucalypt forest has minimal effects on fuel hazard
View SourceAnalysing water sensitive urban design options - Australian Water Association
View Source