Bare Ground

AUS-AMR-FOR-BAR General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

50 %
Direction: Lower is desirable ↓
Form: MaximumOnly

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.

Contributing Benchmarks

CompositeFramework Primary MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

Threshold Value: >50% Bare Ground

Metric Definition:

Percentage of ground surface that is bare soil, without vegetation or protective cover.

Benchmark Definition:

The critical upper limit of bare ground beyond which the ecosystem is considered degraded due to high erosion risk.

Justification:

This value is directly derived from the strong consensus in the scientific literature identifying 50% ground cover as the critical minimum for preventing significant wind erosion in Australian rangelands.

Sources (1)

Preview of Maintaining groundcover to reduce erosion and sustain production - NSW Department of Primary Industries
Maintaining groundcover to reduce erosion and sustain production - NSW Department of Primary Industries Journal

Maintaining groundcover to reduce erosion and sustain production - NSW Department of Primary Industries

View Source

Supporting Sources (24)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of 10 Irrigated agriculture: development opportunities and implications for northern Australia, accessed July 31, 2025
10 Irrigated agriculture: development opportunities and implications for northern Australia, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Government

10 Irrigated agriculture: development opportunities and implications for northern Australia, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of A fresh framework for the ecology of arid Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed August 2, 2025
A fresh framework for the ecology of arid Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed August 2, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

A fresh framework for the ecology of arid Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 30, 2025,

View Source
Preview of A history of CSIRO'S Central Australian Laboratory, 1 1953–80 pastoral land research, accessed July 31, 2025
A history of CSIRO'S Central Australian Laboratory, 1 1953–80 pastoral land research, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Irrigated agriculture in the Murray-Darling Basin - DAFF, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of Australia's bioregions (IBRA) - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025
Australia's bioregions (IBRA) - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025
Contextual Support

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 7 (Regions)

View Source
Preview of Carving up Australia's arid zone: a review of the bioregionalisation of the Eremaean and Eyrean biogeographic regions - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 31, 2025
Carving up Australia's arid zone: a review of the bioregionalisation of the Eremaean and Eyrean biogeographic regions - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Carving up Australia's arid zone: a review of the bioregionalisation of the Eremaean and Eyrean biogeographic regions - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of Catchment Scale Land Use 2023, Scale of Mapping | Digital Atlas of Australia, accessed July 31, 2025
Catchment Scale Land Use 2023, Scale of Mapping | Digital Atlas of Australia, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support

Catchment scale land use profiles Web Map - DAFF, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of Flinders Ranges - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, accessed July 29, 2025,
Flinders Ranges - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, accessed July 29, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Flinders Ranges - UNESCO World Heritage Centre, accessed July 29, 2025

View Source
Preview of Grazing Management Principles No.3 - Local Land Services, accessed July 31, 2025
Grazing Management Principles No.3 - Local Land Services, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Private Native Forestry Code of Practice for Cypress and Western Hardwood Forests - Local Land Services

View Source
Preview of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 31, 2025
Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 30, 2025

View Source
Preview of Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025,
Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Category:IBRA regions - Wikipedia

View Source
Preview of Invader or feeder? Grass takes root in arid zone - Cosmos Magazine, accessed July 27, 2025
Invader or feeder? Grass takes root in arid zone - Cosmos Magazine, accessed July 27, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Invader or feeder? Grass takes root in arid zone - Cosmos Magazine, accessed July 27, 2025

View Source
Preview of Invader or feeder? Grass takes root in arid zone - Cosmos Magazine, accessed July 31, 2025
Invader or feeder? Grass takes root in arid zone - Cosmos Magazine, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Priority Places initiative to benefit MacDonnell Ranges threatened species, accessed August 2, 2025

View Source
Preview of Irrigated crops - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA, accessed July 31, 2025
Irrigated crops - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Irrigated crops - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of Irrigation trends – choosing what to grow | Murray–Darling Basin Authority, accessed July 31, 2025
Irrigation trends – choosing what to grow | Murray–Darling Basin Authority, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Irrigation trends – choosing what to grow | Murray–Darling Basin Authority, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025,
Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic

View Source
Preview of MacDonnell Ranges - DCCEEW, accessed July 29, 2025,
MacDonnell Ranges - DCCEEW, accessed July 29, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

www.dcceew.gov.au, accessed July 27, 2025

View Source
Preview of Maintaining groundcover to reduce erosion and sustain production - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed July 22, 2025,
Maintaining groundcover to reduce erosion and sustain production - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed July 22, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Lang, D. (1979). Groundcover for pastures. Journal of Soil Conservation NSW.

View Source
Preview of Monitoring ground cover: an online tool for Australian regions - eo-data.csiro.au, accessed July 18, 2025,
Monitoring ground cover: an online tool for Australian regions - eo-data.csiro.au, accessed July 18, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Erosion and sediment yields in the Kakadu region of northern Australia - INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCES

View Source
Preview of NORTHERN FLINDERS RANGES - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 30, 2025
NORTHERN FLINDERS RANGES - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 30, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

NORTHERN FLINDERS RANGES - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of risks and impacts of plant industries on soil condition - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, accessed July 31, 2025
risks and impacts of plant industries on soil condition - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Long-term contemporary erosion rates in an arid rangelands ...

View Source
Preview of Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,
Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI

View Source
Preview of Structure Development in Surficial Heavy Clay Soils: A Synthesis of Mechanisms - Australian Geomechanics Society, accessed July 18, 2025,
Structure Development in Surficial Heavy Clay Soils: A Synthesis of Mechanisms - Australian Geomechanics Society, accessed July 18, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Managing arid zone natural resources in Australia for spatial and temporal variability – an approach from first principles - CSIRO PUBLISHING | The Rangeland Journal

View Source
Preview of THE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS FORESTRY STRATEGY - DAFF, accessed July 31, 2025
THE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS FORESTRY STRATEGY - DAFF, accessed July 31, 2025
Contextual Support

Forests of Australia (2023) | Digital Atlas of Australia, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of Wind erosion | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 23, 2025
Wind erosion | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 23, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Ground cover monitoring for Australia - DAFF

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

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

Notes

Bare ground exceeding 50% indicates a degraded state with high risk of accelerated wind and water erosion. This threshold is based on studies in Australian arid rangelands and is used as a critical management trigger point. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AMR-FOR-BAR family.

— % Low
Production Forestry · Not Stated
OptimalRange Active v1
— % Moderate
Production Forestry · Not Stated
CompositeFramework Active v1