Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-ASC-LVG-SWI General High confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 36 to 1080 mm/hr
Optimal Range: 36 to 1080
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.

Evidence & Context

Thus, the reference Ksat range for healthy AHS is 36 - 1080 mm/hr.

Metric Definition:

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) as a direct measure of the soil's capacity to transmit water when saturated, serving as a proxy for maximum steady-state infiltration rates.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the natural range of soil water infiltration rates in healthy Alpine Humus Soils within the Australian Alps, indicating the soil's capacity to transmit water under saturated conditions.

Justification:

The TERN Soil Observatory sites in the Australian Alps represent significant natural capital with minimal anthropogenic disturbance, reflecting the inherent hydrological capacity of healthy, well-structured AHS.

Sources (1)

Preview of SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM
SNOWY MOUNTAIN FORESTED HILLSLOPE SOIL CHARACTERISATION, SOIL HYDROLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOIL GEOCHEMISTRY PROGRAM Journal

New South Wales Vegetation classification and Assessment: Part 3 Plant communities of the NSW Brigalow Belt South, Nandewar an - Botanic Gardens of Sydney, accessed March 28, 2026,

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Supporting Sources (14)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Effects of deer grazing and fence‐line pacing on water and soil quality, accessed on May 25, 2025
(PDF) Effects of deer grazing and fence‐line pacing on water and soil quality, accessed on May 25, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

www.environment.nsw.gov.au

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Preview of Australia state of the environment 2021: land
Australia state of the environment 2021: land
Contextual Support Journal

Australia state of the environment 2021: land

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Preview of Effects of soil and vegetation development on surface hydrological properties of moraines in the Swiss Alps | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Effects of soil and vegetation development on surface hydrological properties of moraines in the Swiss Alps | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Assessment of Soil Degradation Due to Compaction Resulting From Cattle Grazing Using Infiltration Parameters - ResearchGate

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Preview of flora and fauna guarantee - Environment
flora and fauna guarantee - Environment
Contextual Support Journal

Soil physical properties and their relation to organic carbon pools as ...

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Preview of Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,
Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Grazing-management-for-soil-carbon-in-Australia-A-review.pdf - University of Tasmania, accessed on June 7, 2025,
Grazing-management-for-soil-carbon-in-Australia-A-review.pdf - University of Tasmania, accessed on June 7, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

www.utas.edu.au

View Source
Preview of Patterns of variation in Australian alpine soils and their relationships to parent material, vegetation formation, climate and topography | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025,
Patterns of variation in Australian alpine soils and their relationships to parent material, vegetation formation, climate and topography | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Patterns of variation in Australian alpine soils and their relationships to parent material, vegetation formation, climate and topography | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Recovery of Alpine Herbfield on a Closed Walking Track in the ...
Recovery of Alpine Herbfield on a Closed Walking Track in the ...
Contextual Support Journal

Recovery of Alpine Herbfield on a Closed Walking Track in the Kosciuszko Alpine Zone, Australia - BioOne Complete

View Source
Preview of Removing Grazing Pressure from a Native Pasture Decreases Soil Organic Carbon in Southern New South Wales, Australia - ResearchGate
Removing Grazing Pressure from a Native Pasture Decreases Soil Organic Carbon in Southern New South Wales, Australia - ResearchGate
Contextual Support

Removing Grazing Pressure from a Native Pasture Decreases Soil Organic Carbon in Southern New South Wales, Australia - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of research-repository.griffith.edu.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,
research-repository.griffith.edu.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Impacts of Camping and Trampling on Australian Alpine and Subalpine Vegetation and Soils - Griffith Research Online

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Preview of The ecology of domestic grazing in the Australian Alps | Request PDF
The ecology of domestic grazing in the Australian Alps | Request PDF
Contextual Support Journal

The ecology of domestic grazing in the Australian Alps | Request PDF

View Source
Preview of The Impacts of Grazing 1 NEFA BACKGROUND PAPER - Cloudfront.net, accessed August 6, 2025
The Impacts of Grazing 1 NEFA BACKGROUND PAPER - Cloudfront.net, accessed August 6, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net

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Preview of Understanding Soil Infiltration - Ideal Geotech
Understanding Soil Infiltration - Ideal Geotech
Contextual Support Journal

Understanding Soil Infiltration - Ideal Geotech

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Preview of Understanding Soil Infiltration - Ideal Geotech, accessed July 6, 2025,
Understanding Soil Infiltration - Ideal Geotech, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

National Soil Strategy

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Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
  • Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Superseded
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 24 Mar 2026
  • Effective To 24 Mar 2026

Notes

The wide range reflects natural heterogeneity within healthy AHS due to variations in micro-site conditions such as organic matter depth, regolith characteristics, and topographic position. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-LVG-SWI family.

— mm/hr High
Livestock Grazing & Pasture · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v2