Soil Nitrogen

AUS-AIF-FOR-SON General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

2000 mg/kg
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

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

An upper detrimental threshold is identified at levels above 2000 mg/kg. Exceeding this threshold through artificial inputs poses a high risk of severe negative ecological consequences, including a significant loss of native understorey biodiversity, invasion by nitrophilic weeds, and off-site nutrient pollution of sensitive waterways.

Metric Definition:

Total Soil Nitrogen concentration in the topsoil (0–30 cm)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the upper detrimental threshold of total soil nitrogen concentration in the topsoil above which severe negative ecological consequences occur in arid inland floodplains and ephemeral river systems under production forestry.

Justification:

Levels above 2000 mg/kg indicate artificial nutrient enrichment and a high risk of ecological degradation including biodiversity loss and water pollution.

Sources (1)

Preview of Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following tree clearing were estimated at 32 rangeland sites in central and southern Queensland
Changes in soil carbon and nitrogen stocks following tree clearing were estimated at 32 rangeland sites in central and southern Queensland Journal

Changes in soil carbon and soil nitrogen after tree clearing in the semi-arid rangelands of Queensland - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany, accessed July 30, 2025,

View Source

Context

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

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 9 Jun 2026

Notes

Indicates artificial nutrient enrichment and a high risk of ecological degradation. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.