Bare Ground

AUS-TMI-LVG-BAR General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

20 %
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.

Evidence & Context

A benchmark of < 20% Bare Ground is a robust and scientifically defensible representation of a high-health, best-practice grazing system.

Metric Definition:

Percentage of exposed soil surface not covered by vegetation (living or dead) or litter.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the maximum acceptable percentage of bare ground in tropical maritime island grazing systems to maintain high ecological health and prevent soil degradation.

Justification:

Derived from best-practice guidelines for analogous mainland Australian tropical grazing systems, representing an aspirational target for high ecological health where bare ground is minimized to prevent erosion and maintain soil function.

Sources (1)

Preview of Grazing Best Practice
Grazing Best Practice GreyLiterature

Grazing Best Practice

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands
  • Land Use Livestock Grazing & Pasture
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type TargetCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Superseded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

Notes

No direct benchmark exists for the target biome; this value is a proxy derived from analogous mainland Australian tropical grazing systems. Minimizing bare ground towards 0% is beneficial. Upper detrimental threshold is > 50% bare ground, associated with significant ecological degradation. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.