Soil Nitrogen — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

1000 mg/kg

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: Point

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, 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

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

Evidence & Context

A single value of 1000 mg/kg (0.1%) is selected as a robust and representative benchmark.

Metric Definition:

Total Soil Nitrogen content in the topsoil (0-15 cm)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the total soil nitrogen content in the top 0-15 cm of soil in temperate semi-arid shrublands and open woodlands under production forestry, indicating a healthy and ecologically robust system.

Justification:

The value is derived via triangulation of data from the CSIRO/TERN Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia framework, corroborated with field data from analogous healthy native eucalypt woodlands (~800 mg/kg), and set above levels found in degraded agricultural land (~1100 mg/kg mean).

Sources (1)

Preview of Al-Beidh, S., & Al-Tawaha, A. R. M. (2023). Basic Properties and Mineralogy of Soils and Their Impact on the Growth of Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia. Land, 12(6), 1236.

Al-Beidh, S., & Al-Tawaha, A. R. M. (2023). Basic Properties and Mineralogy of Soils and Their Impact on the Growth of Jarrah Forest in Southwestern Australia. Land, 12(6), 1236. Journal

Soil Characteristics and Fertility of the Unique Jarrah Forest of Southwestern Australia, with Particular Consideration of Plant Nutrition and Land Rehabilitation - MDPI

View Source

Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

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 Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
Land Use Production Forestry
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 10 Jun 2026

Notes

The benchmark represents Total Nitrogen in the topsoil (0-15 cm) of a well-managed, ecologically healthy system. Best-practice production forestry in this biome is low-intensity and prioritizes maintaining natural ecosystem function. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TSW-FOR-SON family.