Soil Moisture

AUS-TMS-AGR-SMO General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

12 % VWC

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: MinimumOnly

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 4 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 3 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

A lower critical threshold is identified when soil moisture approaches the Permanent Wilting Point (PWP) or Crop Lower Limit (CLL), typically around 8-12% VWC for these Kandosols 1, or soil water potentials below -100 to -500 kPa, leading to significant plant water stress, reduced microbial activity, and compromised ecological functions.

Metric Definition:

Soil moisture approaching the Permanent Wilting Point (PWP) or Crop Lower Limit (CLL) in volumetric water content (VWC).

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark marks the lower critical soil moisture threshold near the Permanent Wilting Point or Crop Lower Limit, below which significant plant water stress and ecological function decline occur in tropical monsoonal savanna agricultural soils.

Justification:

This threshold marks the onset of significant plant water stress and ecological function compromise.

Sources (1)

Preview of Synthesis of soil hydraulic properties and sustainable management principles for Australian Tropical Monsoonal Savannas

Synthesis of soil hydraulic properties and sustainable management principles for Australian Tropical Monsoonal Savannas Journal

Synthesis of soil hydraulic properties and sustainable management principles for Australian Tropical Monsoonal Savannas

Supporting Sources (33)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Review of soil water models with respect to savanna ...

(PDF) Review of soil water models with respect to savanna ...

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Seasonal Patterns in Soil Moisture, Vapour Pressure Deficit, Tree Canopy Cover and Pre-dawn Water Potential in a Northern Australian Savanna, accessed May 16, 2025

Preview of A Synthesis of Remote Sensing Capabilities with Specific Reference to the Business Needs of the Murray Darling Basin Authority - CRC for Spatial Information, accessed May 11, 2025,

A Synthesis of Remote Sensing Capabilities with Specific Reference to the Business Needs of the Murray Darling Basin Authority - CRC for Spatial Information, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support

Climate and soil for successful mangoes in Western Australia | Agriculture and Food, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Accessing and modelling soil organic carbon stocks in Prairies, Savannas, and forests | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 11, 2025,

Accessing and modelling soil organic carbon stocks in Prairies, Savannas, and forests | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Accessing and modelling soil organic carbon stocks in Prairies, Savannas, and forests | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Comparative transcriptome analysis of translucent flesh disorder in mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) fruits in response to different water regimes | PLOS One, accessed May 11, 2025,

Comparative transcriptome analysis of translucent flesh disorder in mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) fruits in response to different water regimes | PLOS One, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Conservation Agriculture Effects on Soil Water Holding Capacity and Water-Saving Varied with Management Practices and Agroecological Conditions: A Review - MDPI, accessed May 11, 2025,

Conservation Agriculture Effects on Soil Water Holding Capacity and Water-Saving Varied with Management Practices and Agroecological Conditions: A Review - MDPI, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Conservation Agriculture Effects on Soil Water Holding Capacity and Water-Saving Varied with Management Practices and Agroecological Conditions: A Review - MDPI, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Daily 100 m near-surface soil moisture prediction from in-situ data upscaled to Landsat footprint in the Yanco agricultural region during 2016-2021, accessed May 11, 2025,

Daily 100 m near-surface soil moisture prediction from in-situ data upscaled to Landsat footprint in the Yanco agricultural region during 2016-2021, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Categories - machine learning - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Discover the Top 6 Benefits of Regenerative Farming in Australia, accessed July 16, 2025

Discover the Top 6 Benefits of Regenerative Farming in Australia, accessed July 16, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Health: Supporting Rural Industries in the Wet Tropics, accessed August 28, 2025

Preview of Do regenerative grazing management practices ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 12, 2025

Do regenerative grazing management practices ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 12, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Investigating Intensive Grazing Systems in Northern Australia

Preview of Effect of environment and plant phenology on prediction of plant nutrient deficiency using leaf analysis in Leucaena leucocephala - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 11, 2025,

Effect of environment and plant phenology on prediction of plant nutrient deficiency using leaf analysis in Leucaena leucocephala - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Water available in soil, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Effect of soil carbon on soil water retention | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 11, 2025,

Effect of soil carbon on soil water retention | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Impacts of Flooding Stress in Fruit Crops and Its Adaptation Strategies, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of era.dpi.qld.gov.au, accessed May 11, 2025,

era.dpi.qld.gov.au, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support

Calculating Readily Available Water | Agriculture and Food, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Getting the measure of soil moisture in Australia | TERN Australia, accessed July 19, 2025,

Getting the measure of soil moisture in Australia | TERN Australia, accessed July 19, 2025,

Methodology Source Government

Getting the measure of soil moisture in Australia | TERN Australia

Preview of Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - PMC, accessed July 19, 2025,

Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - PMC, accessed July 19, 2025,

Methodology Source Journal

Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - PMC, accessed July 20, 2025

Preview of Identifying impacts & adaptation strategies for tropical fruit farms affected by extreme weather events in sub-tropical Australia: Stakeholders' insights - PubMed Central, accessed May 11, 2025,

Identifying impacts & adaptation strategies for tropical fruit farms affected by extreme weather events in sub-tropical Australia: Stakeholders' insights - PubMed Central, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Identifying impacts & adaptation strategies for tropical fruit farms affected by extreme weather events in sub-tropical Australia: Stakeholders' insights - PubMed Central, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Influence of soil moisture levels on the growth and reproductive behaviour of Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana - PLOS, accessed May 11, 2025,

Influence of soil moisture levels on the growth and reproductive behaviour of Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana - PLOS, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Influence of soil moisture levels on the growth and reproductive behaviour of Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana - PLOS, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Limited effect of organic matter on soil available water capacity - ResearchGate, accessed May 11, 2025,

Limited effect of organic matter on soil available water capacity - ResearchGate, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Climate and soil-based constraints to rainfed cotton yield in ..., accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Liu, X. et al. (2023). Fire regime has a greater impact on soil microbial abundance than on soil organic carbon in a tropical savanna. Wildlife Research.

Liu, X. et al. (2023). Fire regime has a greater impact on soil microbial abundance than on soil organic carbon in a tropical savanna. Wildlife Research.

Contextual Support

Short‐term impact of fire on the total soil microbial and nitrifier communities in a wet savanna

Preview of Managing perennial horticultural crops during drought - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed May 11, 2025,

Managing perennial horticultural crops during drought - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Effect of Soil Moisture Deficit on Aerobic Rice in Temperate Australia - MDPI, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Mango - Fruit crops - Northern Territory Government, accessed May 11, 2025,

Mango - Fruit crops - Northern Territory Government, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Mango - Fruit crops - Northern Territory Government, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Melon cover crops - Northern Territory Government, accessed May 11, 2025,

Melon cover crops - Northern Territory Government, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Melon cover crops - Northern Territory Government, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of National Soil Strategy, accessed May 11, 2025,

National Soil Strategy, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

National Soil Strategy, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Plant available water: How do I determine field capacity and permanent wilting point?, accessed May 11, 2025,

Plant available water: How do I determine field capacity and permanent wilting point?, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Plant available water: How do I determine field capacity and permanent wilting point?, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Risks to waterlogged crops - Business Queensland, accessed August 28, 2025

Risks to waterlogged crops - Business Queensland, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Acid sulfate soils - Murray–Darling Basin Authority

Preview of Savanna ecosystem structure and productivity along a rainfall gradient: the role of - EGUsphere, accessed May 13, 2025,

Savanna ecosystem structure and productivity along a rainfall gradient: the role of - EGUsphere, accessed May 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Savanna ecosystem structure and productivity along a rainfall gradient: the role of - EGUsphere, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing

Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing

Preview of Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: A critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - ResearchGate, accessed July 23, 2025

Preview of Soil health for vegetable production in Australia, accessed May 11, 2025,

Soil health for vegetable production in Australia, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Modelling shows that the high rates of deep drainage in parts of the Goondoola Basin in semi-arid Queensland can be reduced with changes to the farming systems - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 11, 2025,

Preview of Soil moisture at Boorowa Agricultural Research Station - CSIRO

Soil moisture at Boorowa Agricultural Research Station - CSIRO

Contextual Support Government

Soil moisture at Boorowa Agricultural Research Station - CSIRO, accessed May 27, 2025

Preview of Soil Quality Indicators - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 7, 2025,

Soil Quality Indicators - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Mixed Effects of Soil Compaction on the Nitrogen Cycle Under Pea and Wheat - PMC

Preview of TROPICAL SOILS | Terrain NRM, accessed July 16, 2025,

TROPICAL SOILS | Terrain NRM, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

A Revegetation Guide for Sub-Tropical Forest - Greening Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Unravelling Regenerative Agriculture's Sustainability Benefits and Outcomes: A Scoping Review - MDPI, accessed May 11, 2025,

Unravelling Regenerative Agriculture's Sustainability Benefits and Outcomes: A Scoping Review - MDPI, accessed May 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Unravelling Regenerative Agriculture's Sustainability Benefits and Outcomes: A Scoping Review - MDPI

Preview of Waterlogging in Australian agricultural landscapes: a review of plant responses and crop models - ResearchGate, accessed July 7, 2025,

Waterlogging in Australian agricultural landscapes: a review of plant responses and crop models - ResearchGate, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Waterlogging in Australian agricultural landscapes: a review of plant responses and crop models - ResearchGate

Preview of www.publications.qld.gov.au, accessed May 16, 2025,

www.publications.qld.gov.au, accessed May 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The Soils of Cape York Peninsula. Cooktown and Weipa Sections. Land Resource Survey and Evaluation.

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical Monsoonal Savannas
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 10 Jun 2026

Notes

This threshold is a band rather than a sharp line, with values around 8-12% VWC indicating critical low moisture levels. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TMS-AGR-SMO family.