Soil Moisture — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

14 % VWC

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: MinimumOnly

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 2 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 1 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Lower Critical Threshold: Defined by the Permanent Wilting Point (PWP), below which plants cannot recover. This threshold is approximately 30% for Clays, 14% for Loams, and 8% for Sandy Loams.

Metric Definition:

Permanent Wilting Point (PWP) - volumetric water content below which plants cannot recover

Benchmark Definition:

Permanent Wilting Point (PWP) is the volumetric water content below which plants cannot recover, representing a critical lower moisture limit for Loam / Silt Loam soils under agricultural crop production.

Justification:

Sustained moisture below PWP leads to loss of ground cover and increased erosion risk, representing a state of complete functional collapse for the plant community.

Sources (1)

How Soil Holds Water - SDSU Extension Government

How Soil Holds Water - SDSU Extension

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 9 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. The absolute lower limit for soil moisture is the Permanent Wilting Point (PWP). AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AIF-AGR-SMO family.