Soil Phosphorus

AUS-AMR-FOR-SOP General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 8 to 10 mg/kg

Optimal Range: 8 to 10

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: OptimalRange

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 14 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 13 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard MinimumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

The recommended benchmark for available soil phosphorus, representing a state of high ecological health in a sustainably managed production forest, is 8 - 10 mg/kg (Colwell-P).

Metric Definition:

Available soil phosphorus measured as Colwell-P, representing the plant-available phosphorus fraction in soil.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the optimal range of available soil phosphorus in production forestry within arid mountain ranges and uplands in Australia, indicating a healthy ecological state that supports sustainable forest management.

Justification:

Derived from synthesis of peer-reviewed literature, government technical reports, and proxy data from managed native forests and rehabilitation studies, reflecting a balance between deficiency and toxicity risks.

Sources (2)

Preview of (PDF) Too much of a good thing: phosphorus over-fertilisation in ..., accessed July 30, 2025,

(PDF) Too much of a good thing: phosphorus over-fertilisation in ..., accessed July 30, 2025, Journal

(PDF) Soil and vegetation response to thinning White Cypress Pine ...

View Source

Preview of Synthesis of peer-reviewed literature and government technical reports on soil phosphorus dynamics in managed Australian native ecosystems.

Synthesis of peer-reviewed literature and government technical reports on soil phosphorus dynamics in managed Australian native ecosystems. Journal

(PDF) Too much of a good thing: phosphorus over-fertilisation in ...

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 10 Jun 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 5 mg/kg. Upper Detrimental Threshold: 20 mg/kg. The benchmark balances sufficient phosphorus for ecosystem processes without reaching detrimental levels. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AMR-FOR-SOP family.