Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-AMR-AGR-SEC General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 0.3 to 1.5 dS/m
Optimal Range: 0.3 to 1.5
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 17 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 16 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard UpperThreshold Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

Based on the functional boundaries established in Section 2, the proposed optimal range for the most plant-relevant measure, the saturated paste extract, is ECe = 0.3 6 1.5 dS/m.

Metric Definition:

Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC) measured as the saturated paste extract (ECe), representing the soil solution salinity relevant to plant roots.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the optimal range of soil electrical conductivity in arid upland agricultural cropping systems, balancing nutrient availability and avoiding salinity stress to maintain high ecological health.

Justification:

This range is derived by defining the functional boundaries for high ecological health, balancing nutrient availability and avoidance of salinity stress.

Sources (1)

Preview of National Soil Monitoring Program - CSIRO, accessed August 4, 2025,
National Soil Monitoring Program - CSIRO, accessed August 4, 2025, GreyLiterature

National Soil Monitoring Program - CSIRO, accessed July 8, 2025

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
  • Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 7 Jun 2026

Notes

The benchmark represents a 'safe operating space' where the soil has sufficient nutrient availability without salinity stress. It is derived due to lack of direct field data in the specific biome and land use context. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.