Litter Cover
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
For Temperate Dry Woodlands (specifically Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands): A leaf litter cover of 68% is recommended as a reference value.
proportion of the soil surface covered by detached, non-living plant material such as leaves, bark, twigs, and dead grasses
A leaf litter cover of 68% represents a reference value for high-quality woodland ecosystems in temperate dry woodlands, indicating healthy ecological condition.
This figure is utilized as an ecological condition benchmark by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government in its Environmental Offsets Ecological Monitoring Program for Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands, and is attributed to the work of Gibbons et al. (2008).
Sources (1)
Gibbons, P, Lindenmayer, DB, Barry, SC, Tanton, MT & Michael, D 2008, 'The ecological requirements of Yellow Box, Eucalyptus melliodora: a review', Ecological Management & Restoration, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 203-209
View SourceSupporting Sources (2)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
ACT Government. Environmental Offsets Ecological Monitoring Program Reports
View SourceDorrough, J., Stol, J., & McIntyre, S. (2010). Native grasslands in the PlainsTender incentive scheme: Conservation value, management and monitoring. The Rangeland Journal, 32(2), 235-246
View Source