Soil Nitrogen

AUS-TSW-FOR-SON General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

2000 mg/kg
Thresholds: Lower: —, Upper: 2000
Direction: Lower is desirable ↓
Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, 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.

Contributing Benchmarks

CompositeFramework Primary OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard UpperThreshold Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard UpperThreshold Guard Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

It is clear that levels significantly above the natural benchmark (e.g., >2000–2500 mg/kg) would indicate a dysfunctional system at high risk of these negative consequences.

Metric Definition:

Total Soil Nitrogen (NTO) as a percentage of fine soil mass converted to mg/kg.

Benchmark Definition:

This maximum threshold indicates soil nitrogen levels above which temperate semi-arid shrubland woodlands under production forestry are at risk of dysfunction and ecological harm.

Justification:

High soil N is not only non-beneficial but actively detrimental to forest health, linked to nitrogen saturation and ecological consequences.

Sources (1)

Preview of Al-Beidh, S., & Al-Tawaha, A. R. M. (2023). Basic Properties and Mineralogy of Soils and Their Impact on the Growth of Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia. Land, 12(6), 1236.
Al-Beidh, S., & Al-Tawaha, A. R. M. (2023). Basic Properties and Mineralogy of Soils and Their Impact on the Growth of Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia. Land, 12(6), 1236. Journal

Soil Characteristics and Fertility of the Unique Jarrah Forest of Southwestern Australia, with Particular Consideration of Plant Nutrition and Land Rehabilitation - MDPI, accessed July 19, 2025,

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Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Review of C:N Ratios in Vegetation, Litter and Soil Under Australian Native Forests and Plantations - DCCEEW
Review of C:N Ratios in Vegetation, Litter and Soil Under Australian Native Forests and Plantations - DCCEEW
Contextual Support Journal

Review of C:N Ratios in Vegetation, Litter and Soil ... - DCCEEW

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Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 25 Mar 2026

Notes

Levels significantly above the natural range (e.g., >2000 mg/kg) indicate a dysfunctional, at-risk ecosystem.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSW-FOR-SON family.

1000 mg/kg Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
Point Active v1
500 mg/kg Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
MinimumOnly Active v1
— mg/kg Moderate
Production Forestry · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1