Soil Moisture

AUS-TSW-CON-SMO General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 15 to 25 % VWC
Optimal Range: 15 to 25
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: OptimalRange

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.

Evidence & Context

The benchmark for high environmental health is best represented as an optimal functional range, estimated for the topsoil (0-30 cm) to be between 15% and 25% VWC.

Metric Definition:

Volumetric Water Content (VWC) of soil moisture in the topsoil (0-30 cm)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the optimal soil moisture range in the topsoil of temperate semi-arid woodlands that supports positive carbon balance and active plant growth.

Justification:

This range is associated with periods of high ecological function where the woodland acts as a net carbon sink. Confidence is 'Moderate' as the specific range is an expert interpretation based on published functional descriptions and typical soil properties, pending direct analysis of the raw TERN data portal.

Sources (1)

Preview of Great Western Woodlands SuperSite | Climate Change Impacts - TERN Australia, accessed July 10, 2025,
Great Western Woodlands SuperSite | Climate Change Impacts - TERN Australia, accessed July 10, 2025, Government

URBAN FOREST STRATEGY - Your Say South Perth, accessed July 13, 2025

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Supporting Sources (2)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Management of excess water in duplex soils - ResearchGate
Management of excess water in duplex soils - ResearchGate
Contextual Support

Management of excess water in duplex soils - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Soil – the driver of carbon dioxide variability over Australia, accessed July 16, 2025,
Soil – the driver of carbon dioxide variability over Australia, accessed July 16, 2025,
Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

Wired woodlands signal stress as climate dries - CSIRO

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Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Vegetation Woodland
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

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

Notes

The optimal range supports conditions suitable for recruitment of key woodland species and is derived from literature describing the TERN Great Western Woodlands SuperSite.