Microbial Respiration

AUS-TMI-AGR-SMR General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

28.5 mg C/kg soil/d

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: Point

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 6 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 5 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard

Evidence & Context

The selected reference value, representing the best available condition, is 28.5 mg CO2-C/kg/day.

Metric Definition:

Basal microbial respiration is defined as the rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) released by the community of heterotrophic soil microorganisms under standardized laboratory conditions of temperature and moisture.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the rate of carbon dioxide release by soil microbes under controlled conditions in tropical maritime agricultural crop production, indicating a high biological activity state.

Justification:

Derived from a peer-reviewed study measuring basal respiration in a high-functioning, permanent pasture system as a proxy for best available condition in tropical maritime agricultural crop production.

Sources (2)

Preview of Carbon Pool Dynamic and Soil Microbial Respiration Affected by ...

Carbon Pool Dynamic and Soil Microbial Respiration Affected by ... Journal

Carbon Pool Dynamic and Soil Microbial Respiration Affected by Land Use Alteration: A Case Study in Humid Subtropical Area - MDPI

Preview of Soil microbial respiration and biomass in response to different land uses

Soil microbial respiration and biomass in response to different land uses

Supporting Sources (28)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of AGRICULTURAL AUDIT & LAND USE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

AGRICULTURAL AUDIT & LAND USE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

AGRICULTURAL AUDIT & LAND USE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ...

Preview of AGRICULTURAL AUDIT & LAND USE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ..., accessed July 30, 2025,

AGRICULTURAL AUDIT & LAND USE CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ..., accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

VEGETATION 0}' LORD HOWE ISLAND - Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Preview of Altered soil microbial community at elevated CO2 leads to loss of soil carbon | PNAS, accessed August 5, 2025

Altered soil microbial community at elevated CO2 leads to loss of soil carbon | PNAS, accessed August 5, 2025

Contextual Support

Altered soil microbial community at elevated CO2 leads to loss of soil carbon | PNAS

Preview of Can soil organic matter be increased in a continuous cropping system in the low to medium rainfall zone? | Birchip Cropping Group

Can soil organic matter be increased in a continuous cropping system in the low to medium rainfall zone? | Birchip Cropping Group

Contextual Support

(PDF) Soil carbon dynamics under different cropping and pasture management in temperate Australia: Results of three long-term experiments - ResearchGate

Preview of Climate change impacts and adaptation on Australian farms - DAFF, accessed August 9, 2025

Climate change impacts and adaptation on Australian farms - DAFF, accessed August 9, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Tool 6.7 Soil health benchmarks and guidelines for managing problem soils

Preview of Conservation | Lord Howe Island, accessed July 28, 2025,

Conservation | Lord Howe Island, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Conservation | Lord Howe Island

Preview of Controls of Temporal Variations on Soil Respiration in a Tropical Lowland Rainforest in Hainan Island, China - BioOne Complete, accessed July 28, 2025,

Controls of Temporal Variations on Soil Respiration in a Tropical Lowland Rainforest in Hainan Island, China - BioOne Complete, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Controls of Temporal Variations on Soil Respiration in a Tropical Lowland Rainforest in Hainan Island, China - BioOne Complete, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Effect of soil physical properties on the maximum of soil microbial... - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025,

Effect of soil physical properties on the maximum of soil microbial... - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Adaptation of soil microbial growth to temperature: Using a tropical elevation gradient to predict future changes - PubMed Central

Preview of Friends of Lord Howe Island Combating Weeds - Landcare Australia, accessed July 28, 2025,

Friends of Lord Howe Island Combating Weeds - Landcare Australia, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Friends of Lord Howe Island Combating Weeds - Landcare Australia

Preview of Global Application of Regenerative Agriculture: A Review of Definitions and Assessment Approaches - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025,

Global Application of Regenerative Agriculture: A Review of Definitions and Assessment Approaches - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Maintaining Profitable Farming Systems with Retained Stubble Across Various Rainfall Environments - Summary of GRDC Stubble Project, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - Solvita, accessed August 5, 2025,

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - Solvita, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - Solvita

Preview of Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - USDA, accessed July 30, 2025,

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - USDA, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Respiration - USDA

Preview of Landscape rehydration and regenerative agriculture improves soil health, accessed July 28, 2025,

Landscape rehydration and regenerative agriculture improves soil health, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support

Landscape rehydration and regenerative agriculture improves soil health

Preview of Landscape rehydration and regenerative agriculture improves soil health, accessed July 30, 2025,

Landscape rehydration and regenerative agriculture improves soil health, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Health and Regenerative Agriculture - Southern Queensland Landscapes, accessed July 27, 2025,

Preview of Large seasonal variation of soil respiration in a secondary tropical moist forest in Puerto Rico - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025,

Large seasonal variation of soil respiration in a secondary tropical moist forest in Puerto Rico - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Large seasonal variation of soil respiration in a secondary tropical moist forest in Puerto Rico - PubMed Central

Preview of Lord Howe Island Biodiversity Management Plan - DCCEEW, accessed August 4, 2025,

Lord Howe Island Biodiversity Management Plan - DCCEEW, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Geology | Norfolk Island National Park | Parks Australia

Preview of Microbiological Indicators for Assessing the Effects of Agricultural Practices on Soil Health: A Review - MDPI, accessed on June 5, 2025

Microbiological Indicators for Assessing the Effects of Agricultural Practices on Soil Health: A Review - MDPI, accessed on June 5, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Unraveling the Importance of Forest Structure and Composition Driving Soil Microbial and Enzymatic Responses in the Subtropical Forest Soils - MDPI

Preview of National Soil Monitoring Program - CSIRO, accessed August 4, 2025,

National Soil Monitoring Program - CSIRO, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

National Soil Monitoring Program - CSIRO, accessed July 8, 2025

Preview of Norfolk Island Environmental Assessment, accessed August 3, 2025,

Norfolk Island Environmental Assessment, accessed August 3, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Agricultural Audit and Land Use Capability Assessment for Norfolk Island | Policy Commons

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of ResearchOnline@JCU - James Cook University, accessed on June 7, 2025

ResearchOnline@JCU - James Cook University, accessed on June 7, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Variation in soil microbial biomass in the dry tropics: impact of land-use change

Preview of Soil Health | Natural Resources Conservation Service - USDA, accessed May 13, 2025,

Soil Health | Natural Resources Conservation Service - USDA, accessed May 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have ..., accessed July 29, 2025

Preview of Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity, accessed July 18, 2025,

Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support

National Soil Strategy, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity, accessed July 28, 2025,

Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity

Preview of Soil microbial respiration responses to changing temperature and substrate availability in fertile grassland - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 30, 2025,

Soil microbial respiration responses to changing temperature and substrate availability in fertile grassland - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support

Soil microbial respiration responses to changing temperature and substrate availability in fertile grassland - CSIRO Publishing

Preview of Soil organic matter in dryland systems – management and opportunities - GRDC

Soil organic matter in dryland systems – management and opportunities - GRDC

Contextual Support Government

Soil Respiration and Carbon Balance Under Cover Crop in a no-Till Tropical Fruit Orchard - Frontiers

Preview of Soil Respiration | South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, accessed July 30, 2025,

Soil Respiration | South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Original Research Article QUANTIFICATION OF MICROBIAL BIOMASSCARBON AND NITROGENIN LEAF LITTER AMENDED SOIL IN NORTHERN NIGERIA - AWS

Preview of Soil temperature, microbial biomass and enzyme activity are the critical factors affecting soil respiration in different soil layers in Ziwuling Mountains, China - Frontiers, accessed July 30, 2025,

Soil temperature, microbial biomass and enzyme activity are the critical factors affecting soil respiration in different soil layers in Ziwuling Mountains, China - Frontiers, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The optimum temperature of soil microbial respiration

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 5 Jun 2026

Notes

Represents a state of high biological activity under regenerative management; derived from a proxy system due to lack of direct data for the specific biome and land use. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TMI-AGR-SMR family.