Soil Moisture

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 6 to 8 % VWC

Optimal Range: 6 to 8

Direction: Higher 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.

Evidence & Context

The following table synthesizes data from soil science literature to provide indicative values for Permanent Wilting Point (PWP), Field Capacity (FC), and the resulting Plant Available Water (PAW). These values represent the operational range for maintaining ecological function.

Metric Definition:

Soil moisture as volumetric water content (VWC) representing the water available in the soil between the Permanent Wilting Point (PWP) and Field Capacity (FC).

Benchmark Definition:

The functional range of soil moisture between the Permanent Wilting Point and Field Capacity for sand soils in arid mountain ranges under conservation management.

Justification:

Values are synthesized from multiple sources and presented as ranges to reflect natural variability in structure and organic matter content.