Basal Area
Benchmark Value
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 4 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 3 guard(s) constrain the result.
Contributing Benchmarks
Evidence & Context
The data from these plots for trees with a DBH ≥10 cm reveal that at the time of establishment, the stand basal area across these 20 high-integrity sites ranged from 28.6 to 63.3 m²/ha.
Stand basal area is the sum of the cross-sectional area of all living tree stems with DBH ≥10 cm, measured at 1.3 meters above ground, expressed in m²/ha.
This benchmark represents the natural range of basal area in high-integrity tropical and subtropical rainforest stands in Australia, indicating healthy forest structure and function.
This range captures the natural variability of high-integrity ecosystems across diverse environmental gradients, making it a robust indicator of the 'best available condition'.
Sources (3)
CSIRO Permanent Rainforest Plots of North Queensland
View SourcePatterns of basal area increment, mortality and recruitment were related to logging intensity in subtropical rainforest in Australia over 35 years | Request PDF - ResearchGate
View SourceVegetation and floristics of a lowland tropical rainforest in northeast Australia - Biodiversity Data Journal
View SourceSupporting Sources (2)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Lowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia ecological community - conservation advice
View SourceLowland Rainforest of Subtropical Australia ecological community - listing advice
View Source