Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-ASP-AGR-SOC General High confidence

Benchmark Value

1 %

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: MinimumOnly

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 MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard Point Guard CompositeFramework Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

For Australian agricultural soils, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones, this threshold is consistently identified at approximately 1.0% SOC.

Metric Definition:

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is the carbon component of soil organic matter (SOM), which is derived from the decomposition of plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Benchmark Definition:

Lower Critical Threshold for SOC in Australian agricultural soils.

Justification:

When OC in soil is below 1%, soil health may be constrained and yield potential (based on rainfall) may not be achieved; Soil OC less than 1% is believed to affect a soil's ability to drive microbial functions such as releasing nitrogen from organic matter.

Sources (2)

Preview of How Much Carbon Can Soil Store | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au

How Much Carbon Can Soil Store | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au Government

How Much Carbon Can Soil Store | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 19, 2025

Preview of SAMDB NRM Region Soil Carbon Baseline - Department for ...

SAMDB NRM Region Soil Carbon Baseline - Department for ...

Supporting Sources (33)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Dryland Agriculture in Australia: Experiences and Innovations - ResearchGate, accessed July 7, 2025,

(PDF) Dryland Agriculture in Australia: Experiences and Innovations - ResearchGate, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) Dryland Agriculture in Australia: Experiences and Innovations - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of (PDF) Land use and management practices have little influence on agricultural soil organic carbon stocks in Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025,

(PDF) Land use and management practices have little influence on agricultural soil organic carbon stocks in Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025,

Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

(PDF) Land use and management practices have little influence on agricultural soil organic carbon stocks in Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Baseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PubMed Central, accessed August 5, 2025,

Baseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PubMed Central, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Organic Matter and Carbon Sequestration

Preview of Effect of cropping practices on soil organic carbon: evidence from long-term field experiments in Victoria, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025,

Effect of cropping practices on soil organic carbon: evidence from long-term field experiments in Victoria, Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support

Effect of cropping practices on soil organic carbon: evidence from long-term field experiments in Victoria, Australia - ResearchGate

Preview of Exploring Soil Carbon in the Mallee - Soils Connect, accessed July 6, 2025,

Exploring Soil Carbon in the Mallee - Soils Connect, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Mallee plants - Australian National Botanic Gardens, accessed July 22, 2025,

Preview of Full article: Making soil carbon credits work for climate change mitigation, accessed July 6, 2025,

Full article: Making soil carbon credits work for climate change mitigation, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support

Soil Organic Carbon Benchmarks - Department for Environment and Water

Preview of Global meta-analysis of the relationship between soil organic matter and crop yields

Global meta-analysis of the relationship between soil organic matter and crop yields

Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

Organic and clay amendments to improve the productivity of sandy soils - Research findings fact sheet, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Growing soil organic carbon in dryland agricultural systems - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 6, 2025,

Growing soil organic carbon in dryland agricultural systems - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers, accessed July 8, 2025

Preview of Increasing OC in the SAMDB - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 6, 2025,

Increasing OC in the SAMDB - Department for Environment and Water, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon sequestration in rangelands: a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia, accessed July 25, 2025,

Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia, accessed July 25, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia, accessed July 16, 2025,

Preview of Managing for Soil Organic Carbon is Fundamental to Regenerative Agriculture, accessed July 6, 2025,

Managing for Soil Organic Carbon is Fundamental to Regenerative Agriculture, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Managing for Soil Organic Carbon is Fundamental to Regenerative Agriculture, accessed July 6, 2025,

$Preview of Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 6, 2025,$

Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Benefits and trade-offs of soil organic carbon sequestration - OAPEN Library

Preview of Opportunities for improving soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in low and medium rainfall cropping systems - GRDC, accessed July 6, 2025,

Opportunities for improving soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in low and medium rainfall cropping systems - GRDC, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soil health stocktake Queensland - GRDC

Preview of Organic and clay amendments to improve the productivity of sandy soils - Research findings fact sheet, accessed July 6, 2025,

Organic and clay amendments to improve the productivity of sandy soils - Research findings fact sheet, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

Quantifying the effect of soil organic carbon on wheat yield: a simulation study - Agronomy Australia Proceedings, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Organic Carbon Storage - WA | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 6, 2025,

Organic Carbon Storage - WA | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Organic Carbon Storage - WA | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 7, 2025,

Preview of Physical Protection of Soil Carbon Stocks Under ... - EGUsphere, accessed July 6, 2025,

Physical Protection of Soil Carbon Stocks Under ... - EGUsphere, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Physical Protection of Soil Carbon Stocks Under ... - EGUsphere, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Predicting and regulating soil carbon in a warmer world | TERN Australia, accessed July 6, 2025,

Predicting and regulating soil carbon in a warmer world | TERN Australia, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Mapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks, and uncertainty - BG

Preview of Quantifying the effect of soil organic carbon on wheat yield: a simulation study - Agronomy Australia Proceedings, accessed July 6, 2025,

Quantifying the effect of soil organic carbon on wheat yield: a simulation study - Agronomy Australia Proceedings, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

Capacity for increasing soil organic carbon stocks in dryland agricultural systems, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed July 20, 2025,

Preview of Regenerative opportunities for building soil biological resilience – a ..., accessed May 11, 2025

Regenerative opportunities for building soil biological resilience – a ..., accessed May 11, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Regenerative opportunities for building soil biological resilience – a case study in the low-rainfall zone in Southern Australia - GRDC

Preview of Significance of soil organic carbon for regenerative agriculture and ecosystem services | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025,

Significance of soil organic carbon for regenerative agriculture and ecosystem services | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Significance of soil organic carbon for regenerative agriculture and ecosystem services | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Soil carbon holds the key to protecting global crop yields from climate change - The University of Western Australia, accessed July 6, 2025,

Soil carbon holds the key to protecting global crop yields from climate change - The University of Western Australia, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil carbon holds the key to protecting global crop yields from climate change - The University of Western Australia, accessed July 6, 2025,

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

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

Contextual Support Journal

Synthesis of Australian Rangeland SOC Data from CSIRO, Peer-Reviewed Literature, and Government Reports

Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Coexistence of shrubs and grass in a semi-arid landscape: a case study of mulga (Acacia aneura, Mimosaceae) shrublands embedded in fire-prone spinifex (Triodia pungens, Poaceae) hummock grasslands - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany

Preview of Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Snapshot - Agriculture Victoria

Preview of Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,

Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,

Preview of SOIL HEALTH AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY, accessed July 6, 2025,

SOIL HEALTH AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil carbon holds the key to protecting global crop yields from climate change - The University of Western Australia, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Soil Health Testing - Agronomic Insights, accessed July 6, 2025,

Soil Health Testing - Agronomic Insights, accessed July 6, 2025,

Direct Evidence Methodology Source GreyLiterature

Australia's forests – overview - DAFF

Preview of Soils ain't soils - carbon farming offers fertile future - CSIRO, accessed August 5, 2025,

Soils ain't soils - carbon farming offers fertile future - CSIRO, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The Abundance of Microbial Functional Genes in Grassy Woodlands ..., accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Soils and carbon for reduced emissions - Agriculture Victoria, accessed July 6, 2025,

Soils and carbon for reduced emissions - Agriculture Victoria, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soils and carbon for reduced emissions - Agriculture Victoria, accessed July 26, 2025

Preview of The Soil Carbon Research Program (SCaRP) - CSIROpedia, accessed July 6, 2025,

The Soil Carbon Research Program (SCaRP) - CSIROpedia, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Exploring Soil Carbon in the Mallee - Soils Connect, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Understanding the Impacts of Soil, Climate, and Farming ... - Frontiers, accessed July 6, 2025,

Understanding the Impacts of Soil, Climate, and Farming ... - Frontiers, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed July 6, 2025

Preview of Unexpected increases in soil carbon eventually fell in low rainfall farming systems - PubMed, accessed July 6, 2025,

Unexpected increases in soil carbon eventually fell in low rainfall farming systems - PubMed, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Unexpected increases in soil carbon eventually fell in low rainfall farming systems - PubMed, accessed July 6, 2025

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Shrublands & Stony Plains
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 31 May 2026

Notes

At these low levels, soils suffer from poor structure, low water and nutrient holding capacity, and reduced biological activity. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASP-AGR-SOC family.