Fungal:Bacterial Ratio

AUS-AMR-CON-SFB General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0.05 index
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: Point

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 9 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 8 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard Point Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

The most credible and scientifically defensible benchmark for the F:B ratio in Australian Arid Mountain Range conservation areas is the mean value derived from the comprehensive study of Australian drylands. Reference Value: 0.05

Metric Definition:

Fungal:Bacterial Ratio as measured by DNA relative abundance of fungal ITS and bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the typical fungal to bacterial ratio in soils of conservation areas within the Australian Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands biome, reflecting the best available natural condition based on a large-scale study of native dryland vegetation.

Justification:

This benchmark is based on a large-scale, peer-reviewed study of Australian drylands with native vegetation, representing the best available natural condition for conservation areas in the Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands biome.

Sources (1)

Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and their microbial communities are distinct from those of other drylands
Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and their microbial communities are distinct from those of other drylands Journal

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and their microbial communities are distinct from those of other drylands

View Source

Supporting Sources (25)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Are Fungal to Bacterial Ratios (F:B Ratio) Important for Plant Growth? - Garden Myths, accessed July 28, 2025
Are Fungal to Bacterial Ratios (F:B Ratio) Important for Plant Growth? - Garden Myths, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Australia's protected areas - DCCEEW, accessed August 4, 2025,
Australia's protected areas - DCCEEW, accessed August 4, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database: protected area data - DCCEEW

View Source
Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient ... - Arid Ecology Lab, accessed August 3, 2025
Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient ... - Arid Ecology Lab, accessed August 3, 2025
Methodology Source Journal

Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed July 29, 2025

View Source
Preview of ausveg - fact sheet: soil microbiology, accessed July 18, 2025
ausveg - fact sheet: soil microbiology, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

ausveg - fact sheet: soil microbiology

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central, accessed July 18, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed August 3, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed August 3, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed August 3, 2025

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed July 28, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed July 29, 2025

View Source
Preview of Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database: protected area data - DCCEEW, accessed July 16, 2025,
Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database: protected area data - DCCEEW, accessed July 16, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Initiative core activities - Australian Microbiome

View Source
Preview of Considering fungal: Bacterial dominance in soils - Methods, controls, and ecosystem implications | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 22, 2025
Considering fungal: Bacterial dominance in soils - Methods, controls, and ecosystem implications | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 22, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Considering fungal: Bacterial dominance in soils - Methods, controls, and ecosystem implications | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization | Applied and Environmental Microbiology - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization | Applied and Environmental Microbiology - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support

Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization | Applied and Environmental Microbiology - ASM Journals, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Deserts of Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 6, 2025,
Deserts of Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Deserts of Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 27, 2025

View Source
Preview of Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management - ResearchGate, accessed July 18, 2025
Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management - ResearchGate, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,
Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC

View Source
Preview of Impact of Rocky Desertification Control on Soil Bacterial Community in Karst Graben Basin, Southwestern China - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025,
Impact of Rocky Desertification Control on Soil Bacterial Community in Karst Graben Basin, Southwestern China - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Aridity Threshold Induces Abrupt Change of Soil Abundant and Rare Bacterial Biogeography in Dryland Ecosystems - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 29, 2025

View Source
Preview of Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 18, 2025
Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources | The ISME Journal | Oxford Academic, accessed July 18, 2025
Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources | The ISME Journal | Oxford Academic, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources | The ISME Journal | Oxford Academic

View Source
Preview of Soil – the driver of carbon dioxide variability over Australia, accessed July 28, 2025
Soil – the driver of carbon dioxide variability over Australia, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Bulk density of soil at the woodland and plantation in March 2008 at Castlereagh, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 30, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil microbiome and biodiversity implications – are we ignoring cost-effective proxies of biodiversity measures? | TERN Australia, accessed on June 7, 2025,
Soil microbiome and biodiversity implications – are we ignoring cost-effective proxies of biodiversity measures? | TERN Australia, accessed on June 7, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Environment Monitoring Systems & Data for Ecosystem Studies ...

View Source
Preview of Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed August 3, 2025
Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed August 3, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed August 3, 2025

View Source
Preview of Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed July 28, 2025
Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Analyzing your Fungal to Bacterial Ratio Results - microBIOMETER, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil, accessed August 3, 2025
The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil, accessed August 3, 2025
Direct Evidence Journal

The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil, accessed August 3, 2025

View Source
Preview of The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil, accessed on June 5, 2025
The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil, accessed on June 5, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 31, 2025

View Source
Preview of The Effect of Alternative Dryland Crops on Soil Microbial Communities - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025
The Effect of Alternative Dryland Crops on Soil Microbial Communities - ResearchGate, accessed August 3, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

The Effect of Alternative Dryland Crops on Soil Microbial Communities - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of The incorporation of fungal to bacterial ratios and plant ecosystem effect traits into a state-and-transition model of land-use change in semi-arid grasslands - Research @ Flinders, accessed August 3, 2025
The incorporation of fungal to bacterial ratios and plant ecosystem effect traits into a state-and-transition model of land-use change in semi-arid grasslands - Research @ Flinders, accessed August 3, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

The incorporation of fungal to bacterial ratios and plant ecosystem effect traits into a state-and-transition model of land-use change in semi-arid grasslands - Research @ Flinders

View Source
Preview of Things you need to know about the Fungal to Bacterial Ratio (F:B) - MicroBiometer, accessed July 28, 2025
Things you need to know about the Fungal to Bacterial Ratio (F:B) - MicroBiometer, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 8 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. The value 0.05 is characteristically low compared to global drylands and represents a healthy, ancient, and uniquely adapted ecosystem.