Soil Nitrogen

AUS-TSR-CON-SON General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

7400 mg/kg

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

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard

Evidence & Context

The primary benchmark for Total Nitrogen in a best-on-offer conservation context, derived from remnant subtropical rainforest on ferrosol soils, is a mean of 7,400 mg/kg.

Metric Definition:

Total Soil Nitrogen (TN) concentration in topsoils (0-15 cm) of remnant subtropical riparian rainforests on ferrosols.

Benchmark Definition:

Total Nitrogen stock representing a best-on-offer conservation condition in remnant subtropical rainforest soils.

Justification:

Derived from studies of minimally disturbed, mature remnant rainforests on ferrosol soils, representing a high-integrity ecological state.

Supporting Sources (7)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

A conceptual model of nitrogen dynamics for the Great Barrier Reef catchments - Griffith Research Online, accessed July 22, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

A conceptual model of nitrogen dynamics for the Great Barrier Reef catchments - Griffith Research Online

View Source

Preview of Early response of soil properties and function to riparian rainforest restoration - Lake Baroon Catchment Care Group, accessed July 18, 2025,

Early response of soil properties and function to riparian rainforest restoration - Lake Baroon Catchment Care Group, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Ecology of Nitrogen Fixing, Nitrifying, and Denitrifying ...

View Source

Effects of long-term nitrogen and phosphorus additions on soil acidification in an N-rich tropical forest | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Contextual Support Journal

Report: Management of the Great Barrier Reef - Parliament of Australia

View Source

Maycock, Colin Rulzion (1998) Plant-soil nutrient relationships in ...

Contextual Support Journal

Australian Journal of Botany - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 19, 2025

View Source

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests - ResearchGate

Contextual Support

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests - ResearchGate

View Source

Remnant riparian rainforest restoration: Soil property and functional recovery in subtropical Australia.

Direct Evidence

Remnant riparian rainforest restoration: Soil property and functional recovery in subtropical Australia.

View Source

Review of C:N Ratios in Vegetation, Litter and Soil Under Australian Native Forests and Plantations - DCCEEW

Contextual Support Journal

Review of C:N Ratios in Vegetation, Litter and Soil ... - DCCEEW

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
Assessment Pristine Reference
Vegetation Forest
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 10 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. This benchmark represents the mean Total Nitrogen (0.74%) from topsoils (0-15 cm) of remnant subtropical riparian rainforests on ferrosols, representing a best-on-offer conservation condition. The optimal range is characterized by 4,800–10,000 mg/kg on ferrosols.

Related Benchmarks

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