Soil Potassium

AUS-AMR-FOR-SOK General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 100 to 150 mg/kg

Optimal Range: 100 to 150

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.

Evidence & Context

The following ranges are proposed as optimal for sustainable forestry, adjusted for soil texture: Sandy Soils: 100–150 mg/kg.

Metric Definition:

Available soil potassium (Colwell K) concentration in topsoil

Benchmark Definition:

Optimal soil potassium range for sustainable production forestry on sandy soils in arid mountain biomes.

Justification:

Derived from Victorian agricultural guidelines calibrated for high biomass production and moderated for forestry ecological principles.

Sources (1)

Preview of Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025,

Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025, Journal

Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic

View Source

Supporting Sources (3)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient‐depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - Arid Ecology Lab, accessed August 3, 2025

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient‐depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - Arid Ecology Lab, accessed August 3, 2025

Direct Evidence Government

Soil Inorganic Carbon, the Other and Equally Important Soil Carbon Pool: Distribution, Controlling Factors, and the Impact of C

View Source

Preview of Long-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - BioOne Complete, accessed July 10, 2025

Long-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - BioOne Complete, accessed July 10, 2025

Direct Evidence Journal

Long-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - BioOne Complete

View Source

Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed May 12, 2025

Direct Evidence Government

Agriculture Victoria. (2025). Understanding soil tests for pastures. Farm Management.

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

Maintaining soil K within these ranges supports economic viability and ecological sustainability in production forestry. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

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