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 18 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 17 guard(s) constrain the result.
Contributing Benchmarks
Evidence & Context
Based on the data presented in the Henry, Beutel, et al. (2024) meta-analysis, the woody basal area for the long-term grazed control plot at the Fowlers Gap-Emu site is approximately 4.0 m²/ha.
Basal area (BA) is a standard forestry metric that quantifies stand density by summing the cross-sectional area of tree stems at a standardized height (typically 1.3 m) over a given area, expressed as square metres per hectare (m²/ha).
This benchmark represents the basal area, or cross-sectional area of tree stems per hectare, measured in a long-term grazed Acacia-dominated woodland in an arid climate, serving as a proxy for the Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands biome under livestock grazing.
The value is a direct, quantitative field measurement from a peer-reviewed, long-term scientific study. The site's climate and vegetation structure serve as a highly relevant proxy for the wooded components of the Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands biome.
Sources (1)
Grazing exclusion has nuanced effects on woody carbon stocks across Australian rangelands
View SourceSupporting Sources (4)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
A window of opportunity for climate-change adaptation: easing tree mortality by reducing forest basal area | Request PDF - ResearchGate
View SourceDoes grazing exclusion in Australia's rangelands affect biomass and debris carbon stocks? - CSIRO Publishing, accessed April 29, 2025,
View Source
Method for Rangeland condition monitoring: shrubland - Government of Western Australia
View SourceThresholds of biodiversity and ecosystem function in a forest ecosystem undergoing dieback
View Source