Microbial Respiration

AUS-TMS-FOR-SMR General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

16.07 mg CO2/kg/day
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: Point

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is Point, 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 indicative field microbial respiration rate of approximately 16.07 mg CO2-C/kg soil/day has been estimated for active wet season conditions.

Metric Definition:

Microbial respiration, defined as the carbon dioxide (CO2) released by heterotrophic soil microorganisms (primarily bacteria and fungi) during the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) and the assimilation of carbon

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents an estimated field microbial respiration rate during the active wet season in tropical monsoonal savannas under production forestry. It reflects the carbon dioxide released by soil microorganisms decomposing organic matter in these conditions.

Justification:

Value is an estimate of field microbial respiration during the active wet season, derived from total soil respiration (mid-range wet season value of ~6 µmol CO2 m−2 s−1) in relatively undisturbed, densely wooded native tropical savannas in North Queensland, which serve as a proxy for high ecological health in the absence of direct data from 'best-practice production forestry.' Assumptions include microbial respiration being ~40% of total soil respiration, average soil bulk density of 1.55 gcm−3, and active soil depth of 0.1 m.

Sources (1)

Preview of Carbon and nitrogen stores in a savanna landscape in the Berrimah Agricultural Research Centre, northern Australia. CSIRO.
Carbon and nitrogen stores in a savanna landscape in the Berrimah Agricultural Research Centre, northern Australia. CSIRO. Journal

Davies, J. (2017). Carbon and water exchange in Australian tropical savannas. PhD Thesis, James Cook University.

View Source

Supporting Sources (15)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of ASC - KANDOSOLS - Soil Science Australia
ASC - KANDOSOLS - Soil Science Australia
Contextual Support Journal

ASC - KANDOSOLS - Soil Science Australia

View Source
Preview of Balancing production and environmental outcomes in Australia's tropical savanna under global change - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2025,
Balancing production and environmental outcomes in Australia's tropical savanna under global change - ResearchGate, accessed May 13, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Reshaping forest management in Australia to provide nature-based solutions to global challenges - Talking Timber

View Source
Preview of Case Study - Soil carbon benefits through reforestation, accessed August 5, 2025
Case Study - Soil carbon benefits through reforestation, accessed August 5, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Case Study - Soil carbon benefits through reforestation - Queensland Government publications

View Source
Preview of Dynamics of the ground layer communities of tropical eucalypt woodlands of northern Queensland - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany, accessed May 14, 2025,
Dynamics of the ground layer communities of tropical eucalypt woodlands of northern Queensland - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany, accessed May 14, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Plantation tree growth responses to P, N, K and minor and trace elements on low fertility savanna soils - CSIRO Publishing

View Source
Preview of Evaluation of the Wood Quality and Utilisation Potential of Plantation grown Khaya senegalensis (African Mahogany)
Evaluation of the Wood Quality and Utilisation Potential of Plantation grown Khaya senegalensis (African Mahogany)
Contextual Support Journal

Evaluation of the Wood Quality and Utilisation Potential of Plantation grown Khaya senegalensis (African Mahogany)

View Source
Preview of Fire interacts with season to influence soil respiration in tropical savannas - ResearchGate
Fire interacts with season to influence soil respiration in tropical savannas - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Fire interacts with season to influence soil respiration in tropical savannas - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Optimal Fire Regimes for Soil Carbon Storage in Tropical Savannas of Northern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Optimal Fire Regimes for Soil Carbon Storage in Tropical Savannas of Northern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Carbon balance of a tropical savanna of northern Australia - CiteSeerX

View Source
Preview of Plantation forestry method - DCCEEW
Plantation forestry method - DCCEEW
Regulatory Framework Government

Plantation forestry method - DCCEEW

View Source
Preview of Soil Respiration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 30, 2025,
Soil Respiration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 30, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Temperate Grasslands - Greening Australia, accessed August 12, 2025,

View Source
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

View Source
Preview of Soil respiration and microbial population in a tropical deciduous forest soil of Orissa, India
Soil respiration and microbial population in a tropical deciduous forest soil of Orissa, India
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Microbial Biomass, Respiration Rate, and Temperature Dependence on a Successional Glacier Foreland in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Srivastava, S. C., & Singh, J. S. (1989). Effect of cultivation on microbial biomass C and N of a dry tropical forest soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 8(4), 343-348.
Srivastava, S. C., & Singh, J. S. (1989). Effect of cultivation on microbial biomass C and N of a dry tropical forest soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 8(4), 343-348.
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil microbial biomass, activity and community composition in adjacent native and plantation forests of subtropical Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna - BG
The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna - BG
Contextual Support Journal

The contribution of trees and grasses to productivity of an Australian tropical savanna - BG

View Source
Preview of The Rangeland Journal - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed on June 5, 2025
The Rangeland Journal - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed on June 5, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Respiration - Natural Resources Conservation Service

View Source
Preview of Vulnerability of native savanna trees and exotic Khaya senegalensis to seasonal drought | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Vulnerability of native savanna trees and exotic Khaya senegalensis to seasonal drought | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Vulnerability of native savanna trees and exotic Khaya senegalensis to seasonal drought | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical Monsoonal Savannas
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Production Forestry
  • Season wet season
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

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

Notes

Benchmark represents an estimate of field activity during peak period, not a direct measure of basal microbial respiration obtained under controlled laboratory conditions.