Bare Ground

AUS-ASC-LVG-BAR General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 0 to 5 %
Optimal Range: 0 to 5
Direction: Lower 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. The scoring engine uses 16 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 15 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Proposed Range: 0-5% Bare Ground.

Metric Definition:

Bare ground, defined as soil surface not protected by vegetation (including live plants, lichens, and mosses), litter, standing dead plant material, gravel, or rocks

Benchmark Definition:

The range of bare ground percentage indicative of a healthy, resilient alpine or subalpine ecosystem under best-practice livestock grazing.

Justification:

This range aligns directly with the proposed reference value and is strongly supported by observations from undisturbed alpine herbfields (0% bare ground) and subalpine grasslands (≤2% bare ground).

Sources (1)

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

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

View Source

Supporting Sources (10)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Alpine and subalpine snow patch vegetation on the Bogong High Plains, SE Australia
Alpine and subalpine snow patch vegetation on the Bogong High Plains, SE Australia
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Alpine and subalpine snow patch vegetation on the Bogong High Plains, SE Australia

View Source
Preview of Fire Severity and Plant Community Dynamics in Montane Ecosystems in the Australian Alps, Southeastern New South Wales
Fire Severity and Plant Community Dynamics in Montane Ecosystems in the Australian Alps, Southeastern New South Wales
Contextual Support Journal

Microbial activity and survival in soils dried at different rates - CSIRO Publishing

View Source
Preview of Gunningrah – Shifting mindset from animals to the land
Gunningrah – Shifting mindset from animals to the land
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Gunningrah – Shifting mindset from animals to the land

View Source
Preview of Meat & Livestock Australia. (n.d.). Maintain ground cover. MLA.
Meat & Livestock Australia. (n.d.). Maintain ground cover. MLA.
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Best Management Practices for Temperate Perennial Pastures in New South Wales, accessed August 6, 2025

View Source
Preview of Severely degraded high mountain vegetation
Severely degraded high mountain vegetation
Contextual Support Journal

Severely degraded high mountain vegetation

View Source
Preview of Sustainable land management practices for graziers - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed August 6, 2025,
Sustainable land management practices for graziers - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed August 6, 2025,
Direct Evidence Journal

Sustainable land management practices for graziers - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed May 10, 2026

View Source
Preview of theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 25, 2025,
theaustralianalpsnationalparks.org, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Phosphorus Nutrition of Proteaceae in Severely Phosphorus-Impoverished Soils: Are There Lessons To Be Learned for Future Crops? - PubMed Central

View Source
Preview of www.barrierreef.org, accessed on May 25, 2025,
www.barrierreef.org, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture Program restoring soil pH case study: Macdonald, Whites Flat/Koppio, accessed July 18, 2025,

View Source
Preview of www.deeca.vic.gov.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,
www.deeca.vic.gov.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au, accessed on May 25, 2025

View Source
Preview of www.dpi.nsw.gov.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Plant nutrients in the soil - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed July 18, 2025

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
  • Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 28 May 2026

Notes

Allows for minimal, natural inter-tussock spaces, the presence of essential small bare patches for the recruitment of certain niche plant species, or tiny, ephemeral bare areas resulting from highly localized animal impact. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

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

5 % Moderate
Livestock Grazing & Pasture · Not Stated
LowerThreshold Active v1