Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TSW-CON-SEC General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

0.015 dS/m

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MinimumOnly

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 3 benchmarks together — the MinimumOnly form drives the primary score, while 2 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

MinimumOnly Primary MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

A conceptual lower threshold of <0.015 dS/m (EC 1:5) is proposed. This is not a detrimental limit in the same way as the upper threshold, but rather a management trigger.

Metric Definition:

Soil electrical conductivity (EC) is a measure of the ability of the soil solution to conduct an electrical current, reported in units of deciSiemens per meter (dS/m).

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents a conceptual lower soil electrical conductivity threshold that serves as a management trigger for investigating potential nutrient depletion.

Justification:

Based on soil science principles and the EC of rainwater, this threshold serves as a management trigger rather than a direct harm threshold.

Sources (14)

A Biodiverse Land | Western Australian Museum Government

A Biodiverse Land | Western Australian Museum

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Preview of Categories - Electrical Conductivity - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed May 13, 2025,

Categories - Electrical Conductivity - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed May 13, 2025, Government

Save Our Soils - Soil Science Australia

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Mine Rehabilitation to Central Hunter Valley Eucalypt Forest and Woodland CEEC: A Comparative Assessment of Rehabilitation and Reference Sites (ACARP Project C26034)

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