Soil Nitrogen — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

6900 mg/kg

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: Point

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is Point, 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.

Evidence & Context

A study in a moist coastal old-growth temperate forest in the Oregon Cascades, USA, reported a total nitrogen concentration of 0.69% in the topsoil (0-10 cm).

Metric Definition:

Total soil nitrogen content as a percentage of soil dry weight in the topsoil horizon (0-10 cm).

Benchmark Definition:

Total soil nitrogen content in old-growth temperate forest topsoil in Oregon Cascades, USA, used as a comparative benchmark for Australian temperate coastal forests.

Justification:

Reported value from a study on a moist coastal old-growth temperate forest in the Oregon Cascades, USA.

Sources (1)

Carbon and nitrogen in forest soils: Potential indicators for sustainable management of eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 27, 2025, Journal

Carbon and nitrogen in forest soils: Potential indicators for ...

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Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Coastal Forests & Woodlands
Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
Assessment Pristine Reference
Vegetation Forest
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 8 Jun 2026

Notes

This value represents total soil nitrogen concentration in a North American temperate old-growth forest, providing a comparative benchmark to Australian forests. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TCF-CON-SON family.