Gully Density — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

0 m/ha

Direction: Lower 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 Point, 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.

Contributing Benchmarks

Point Primary Point Guard UpperThreshold Guard Point Guard Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Upper Detrimental Threshold: Any value > 0 m/ha of active, management-induced gully erosion.

Metric Definition:

Active gully density above which management failure and degradation occur

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the maximum acceptable active gully density in the Australian arid inland floodplains and ephemeral river systems under production forestry. Any value above zero indicates management failure and ecosystem degradation.

Justification:

The initiation of any active gully erosion represents a failure of management and the crossing of a detrimental threshold in this biome.

Sources (1)

Preview of Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed August 12, 2025

Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed August 12, 2025 Journal

Change in Organic Carbon in Forest Plantation Soils in Eastern ..., accessed July 20, 2025,

View Source

Supporting Sources (9)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Alluvial Gully Erosion Rates and Processes Across the Mitchell ..., accessed July 20, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Alluvial Gully Erosion Rates and Processes Across the Mitchell ..., accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Alluvial Gully Erosion: A Dominant Erosion Process Across Tropical Northern Australia - CORE, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support

Gully mapping and drivers in the grazing lands of the Burdekin ..., accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Preview of Alluvial Gully Erosion: A Dominant Erosion Process Across Tropical Northern Australia: Full Report - ResearchGate, accessed July 22, 2025,

Alluvial Gully Erosion: A Dominant Erosion Process Across Tropical Northern Australia: Full Report - ResearchGate, accessed July 22, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Degradation of the Mitchell River fluvial megafan by alluvial gully erosion increased by post-European land use change, Queensla, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Victoria, accessed July 20, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Australia's State of the Forests Report - DAFF, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Gully density map of the study assessment area (kilometres... - ResearchGate, accessed August 1, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) Gully erosion prediction across a large region ... - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Gully erosion prediction across a large region: Murray–Darling Basin, Australia, accessed August 1, 2025,

Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Preview of Long-term contemporary erosion rates in an arid rangelands environment in western New South Wales, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025

Long-term contemporary erosion rates in an arid rangelands environment in western New South Wales, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Long-term contemporary erosion rates in an arid rangelands environment in western New South Wales, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation - MDPI, accessed August 2, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Restoring Soil Quality to Mitigate Soil Degradation - MDPI, accessed July 20, 2025

View Source

Preview of SOIL CONSERVATION IN AUSTRALIA'S SEMI ARID TROPICS: PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS, AND NEW CHALLENGES - DM Freebairn A and DM Silburn - NSERL, accessed July 8, 2025,

SOIL CONSERVATION IN AUSTRALIA'S SEMI ARID TROPICS: PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS, AND NEW CHALLENGES - DM Freebairn A and DM Silburn - NSERL, accessed July 8, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

SOIL CONSERVATION IN AUSTRALIA'S SEMI ARID TROPICS: PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS, AND NEW CHALLENGES - DM Freebairn A and DM Silburn - NSERL, accessed July 20, 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 10 Jun 2026

Notes

Any active, management-induced gully density greater than 0 m/ha is detrimental, signifying a departure from a stable state. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AIF-FOR-GUL family.