Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-AIF-LVG-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

2 dS/m

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: MaximumOnly

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 2 benchmarks together — the MaximumOnly form drives the primary score, while 1 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

MaximumOnly Primary MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Therefore, the upper detrimental threshold is defined as an ECe of > 2.0 dS/m. Once soil EC consistently exceeds this value, the ecosystem has likely crossed a critical threshold.

Metric Definition:

Upper detrimental threshold of Soil Electrical Conductivity (ECe) indicating ecological tipping point

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark marks the upper soil electrical conductivity threshold beyond which ecological degradation and loss of salt-sensitive species occur in the arid inland floodplains.

Justification:

This threshold is based on USDA soil classification and plant tolerance data indicating stress and degradation above this level.

Sources (1)

Salinity - Murray–Darling Basin Authority, accessed August 11, 2025, Government

Salinity | Murray–Darling Basin Authority

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 2
Effective From 7 Jun 2026

Notes

Exceeding 2.0 dS/m marks a transition to degraded state with loss of native species and increased salt-tolerant specialists. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AIF-LVG-SEC family.