Bare Ground — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

50 %

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 16 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 15 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Multiple government and industry sources identify a total ground cover level of approximately 50% as this critical trigger point. This corresponds to a Bare Ground level of 50%.

Metric Definition:

Bare Ground (%) - the percentage of soil surface that is not covered by vegetation or litter.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the critical maximum bare ground percentage beyond which soil erosion risk increases significantly in temperate semi-arid woodlands under livestock grazing.

Justification:

This threshold is supported by multiple government and industry sources as the point where soil becomes highly vulnerable to erosion.

Sources (1)

Preview of Restoration of degraded grazing country in the semi-arid areas of ..., accessed July 10, 2025,

Restoration of degraded grazing country in the semi-arid areas of ..., accessed July 10, 2025, Journal

Maintain and improve groundcover - Local Land Services

View Source

Supporting Sources (2)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 18, 2025,

Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 18, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Managing grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change - CSIRO Publishing

View Source

Preview of Synthesis of TERN AusPlots Rangelands survey data (2011-2019) and national best-practice guidelines for invasive species management in Australian arid rangelands.

Synthesis of TERN AusPlots Rangelands survey data (2011-2019) and national best-practice guidelines for invasive species management in Australian arid rangelands.

Direct Evidence

researchportal.murdoch.edu.au, accessed May 10, 2025

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 7 Jun 2026

Notes

Bare ground levels exceeding 50% represent a critical threshold where soils become highly vulnerable to significant wind and water erosion, leading to a loss of landscape function. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSW-LVG-BAR family.