Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-AMR-LVG-SOC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

1.2 %

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

Derived from the mean for sandy loams (1.25%) in SA 40 and the predicted mean (1.26%) for sites with high perennial cover in the Cobar Peneplain. This value strongly represents a best-on-offer condition.

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) concentration in the top 0–10 cm of soil

Benchmark Definition:

Reference value for Soil Organic Carbon in loamy soils under best-practice grazing in Australian arid upland grazing systems.

Justification:

Derived from the mean for sandy loams in SA and the predicted mean for sites with high perennial cover in the Cobar Peneplain. Represents a best-on-offer condition.

Sources (1)

Preview of Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate Journal

Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Supporting Sources (29)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of ...

(PDF) Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of ...

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil condition | NSW State of the Environment

Preview of A review of sampling designs for the measurement of soil organic carbon in Australian grazing lands - Integrity Systems, accessed July 27, 2025,

A review of sampling designs for the measurement of soil organic carbon in Australian grazing lands - Integrity Systems, accessed July 27, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Total nitrogen levels as a key constraint on soil organic carbon ...

Preview of A review of the economics of regenerative agriculture in Western Australia - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 4, 2025

A review of the economics of regenerative agriculture in Western Australia - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 4, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

A review of the economics of regenerative agriculture in Western Australia - DPIRD's Digital library

Preview of Australia's Soil Carbon Opportunities and Risks - Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), accessed July 26, 2025

Australia's Soil Carbon Opportunities and Risks - Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), accessed July 26, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Soil – the driver of carbon dioxide variability over Australia, accessed July 26, 2025

Preview of Baseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PubMed Central, accessed August 5, 2025,

Baseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PubMed Central, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Organic Matter and Carbon Sequestration

Preview of Can simple, on-ground vegetation and soil measures reliably indicate the health of rangelands? An application in Australia's semi-arid woodlands - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 30, 2025

Can simple, on-ground vegetation and soil measures reliably indicate the health of rangelands? An application in Australia's semi-arid woodlands - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 30, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

The Rangeland Journal - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 10, 2025

Preview of Environmental drivers of soil organic carbon in the Australian rangelands - Bohrium, accessed July 26, 2025

Environmental drivers of soil organic carbon in the Australian rangelands - Bohrium, accessed July 26, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Environmental drivers of soil organic carbon in the Australian rangelands - Bohrium, accessed July 30, 2025

Preview of Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - PubMed, accessed August 5, 2025,

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - PubMed, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - PubMed, accessed August 5, 2025

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

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - ResearchGate, accessed May 10, 2026

Preview of How much organic carbon could the soil store? The carbon sequestration potential of Australian soil - Rothamsted Repository, accessed July 30, 2025

How much organic carbon could the soil store? The carbon sequestration potential of Australian soil - Rothamsted Repository, accessed July 30, 2025

Contextual Support

How much organic carbon could the soil store? The carbon sequestration potential of Australian soil - Rothamsted Repository, accessed July 30, 2025

Preview of Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based ..., accessed August 5, 2025,

Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based ..., accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services - Frontiers

Preview of Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Impacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Grazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - ResearchGate

Preview of Increasing OC in the SAMDB - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 6, 2025,

Increasing OC in the SAMDB - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Potential for soil carbon sequestration in Northern Australian grazing ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Potential for soil carbon sequestration in Northern Australian grazing ..., accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon benchmarks - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Rangeland condition: its meaning and use - a discussion paper - DCCEEW, accessed August 2, 2025

Rangeland condition: its meaning and use - a discussion paper - DCCEEW, accessed August 2, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Productivity flourishes in arid lands | Meat & Livestock Australia - MLA, accessed July 19, 2025

Preview of Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 6, 2025,

Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Understanding Soil Infiltration - Ideal Geotech

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 Report card on sustainable natural resource use in the rangelands, accessed July 30, 2025

Report card on sustainable natural resource use in the rangelands, accessed July 30, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Report card on sustainable natural resource use in the rangelands, accessed July 30, 2025

Preview of Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025,

Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Sensitivity of soil organic carbon to grazing management in the semi-arid rangelands of south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025,

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,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing cattle grazing intensity: effects on soil organic matter and soil nitrogen, accessed July 23, 2025

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Synthesis of Australian Rangeland SOC Data from CSIRO, Peer-Reviewed Literature, and Government Reports

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed July 23, 2025

Preview of Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria

Preview of Soil health: looking for suitable indicators. What should be considered to assess the effects of use and management on soil heal - alice Embrapa, accessed July 28, 2025,

Soil health: looking for suitable indicators. What should be considered to assess the effects of use and management on soil heal - alice Embrapa, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

www.barenbrug.com.au, accessed May 13, 2025,

Preview of Soil Organic Carbon - Southern Farming Systems, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Organic Carbon - Southern Farming Systems, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The value of soil organic matter and how we can slow its decline under cropping systems: Data from 500 paired-site comparisons - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

Preview of Soil organic matter and carbon in agriculture - FutureBeef, accessed July 28, 2025,

Soil organic matter and carbon in agriculture - FutureBeef, accessed July 28, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil organic matter and carbon in agriculture - FutureBeef, accessed July 28, 2025,

Preview of Soils ain't soils - carbon farming offers fertile future - CSIRO, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soils ain't soils - carbon farming offers fertile future - CSIRO, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The Abundance of Microbial Functional Genes in Grassy Woodlands ..., accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of The relationship between soil organic carbon and soil surface ...

The relationship between soil organic carbon and soil surface ...

Contextual Support Journal

The relationship between soil organic carbon and soil surface characteristics in the semi-arid rangelands of southern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 6 Jun 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 0.7 %. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. The benchmark is a synthesis derived from peer-reviewed studies in analogous semi-arid rangeland environments that demonstrate high ecological function, characterized by conservative stocking and high perennial ground cover. There is no evidence of an upper detrimental threshold; the upper boundary is a natural saturation point determined by soil texture and climate. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AMR-LVG-SOC family.