Bare Ground — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

30 %

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 13 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 12 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

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

Evidence & Context

Lower Boundary (Point above which ecological health is compromised; i.e., maximum acceptable bare ground / minimum required cover) ≤ 30% Bare Ground (i.e., ≥ 70% Ground Cover)

Metric Definition:

Maximum acceptable percentage of bare ground before significant ecological compromise occurs.

Benchmark Definition:

A maximum threshold of 30% bare ground marks the point above which ecological health is compromised in agricultural crop production in Tropical Monsoonal Savannas.

Justification:

Derived by analogy from grazing land guidelines requiring minimum 70% cover to prevent erosion; exceeding 30% bare ground likely leads to significant soil erosion and compromised soil health.

Sources (2)

Preview of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Victoria, accessed July 19, 2025

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Victoria, accessed July 19, 2025 Journal

Soil health: the foundation of sustainable agriculture - 2001 ...

View Source

Final report - MLA, accessed July 19, 2025,

Queensland Government guidelines for grazing lands

View Source

Supporting Sources (3)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Ground Cover Monitoring for Australia - DAFF, accessed May 11, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Grazing-management-for-soil-carbon-in-Australia-A-review.pdf - University of Tasmania, accessed April 29, 2025,

View Source

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture - a literature review on the practices and mechanisms used to improve soil health - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 5, 2025,

Regenerative Agriculture - a literature review on the practices and mechanisms used to improve soil health - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support

Regenerative Agriculture Program restoring soil pH case study: Macdonald, Whites Flat/Koppio

View Source

Regenerative Agriculture - Project Regeneration, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical Monsoonal Savannas
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Superseded
Version 1
Effective From 7 Jun 2026
Effective To 7 Jun 2026

Notes

Exceeding 30% bare ground for extended periods likely leads to significant soil erosion, reduced water infiltration, and compromised soil health, impacting long-term sustainability. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TMS-AGR-BAR family.