Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)
Benchmark Value
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 13 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 12 guard(s) constrain the result.
Evidence & Context
Workshop materials from Southern Farming Systems explicitly state that a soil with less than 1% SOC is considered 'functionally impaired'.
Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) percentage below which soil functions are significantly compromised.
This benchmark represents the Soil Organic Carbon percentage below which soil functions are significantly impaired, leading to degradation in temperate grazing lands.
Corroborated by multiple sources including South Australian benchmark data and Soil CRC factsheet indicating functional impairment below this level.
Sources (1)
Soil Organic Carbon Guidelines by Rainfall - Department for Environment and Water, accessed March 28, 2026,
View SourceSupporting Sources (46)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
(PDF) Temperate Regenerative Agriculture practices increase soil carbon but not crop yield – a meta-analysis - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceBoland, D. J., & Dunn, A. T. (1985). Eucalyptus delegatensis: Its ecology and management. Forestry Commission of NSW.
View SourceRoot Structure and Functioning for Efficient Acquisition of Phosphorus: Matching Morphological and Physiological Traits
View SourceBaseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PMC, accessed March 28, 2026,
View SourceCritical review of the impacts of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon storage and other soil quality indicators in extensiv - Murdoch Research Portal, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceDegradation: Soil, Organic Carbon Content, Overuse & Climate are Interconnected, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceDisturbance and management effects on forest soil organic carbon stocks in the Pacific Northwest, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceLudwig, J.A., Bastin, G.N., Chewings, V.H., Eager, R.W., and Liedloff, A.C. (2005). Clearing savannas for use as rangelands in Queensland: Altered landscapes and water-erosion processes. Rangeland Journal, 27(2), 135-149.
View SourceEffects of grazing exclusion on soil organic carbon: Hillslope and soil profile results (an Australian example) - PubMed, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceGrazing Affects Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Directly and Indirectly Through Herbaceous Species Diversity in Sahelian Savanna Ecosystems - Agritrop, accessed on June 5, 2025
View SourceGrazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - PubMed, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourceManaging grazing to increase ground cover in rangelands: using remote sensing to detect change | Request PDF - ResearchGate
View SourceGrazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review
View SourceHow does the loss of soil organic carbon exacerbate climate change? - Quora, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceHow should we manage our soils to increase soil carbon? - Soil Health Knowledgebase, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceHOW TO MEASURE AND INTERPRET RESULTS IN RELATION TO SOIL ORGANIC CARBON - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
View SourceImpacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia | PLOS One - Research journals
View SourceImpacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia - PubMed Central, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceImpacts of Rotational Grazing on Soil Carbon in Native Grass-Based Pastures in Southern Australia - PubMed, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceGrazing management for soil carbon in Australia: A review - ResearchGate
View SourceLand-use and historical management effects on soil organic carbon in grazing systems on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceLand-use and historical management effects on soil organic carbon in grazing systems on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales - ResearchGate, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceLucerne pastures and rotational grazing lift soil carbon levels | .Meat & Livestock Australia, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceMapping soil organic carbon fractions for Australia, their stocks ... - BG
View SourcePotential responses of soil organic carbon to global environmental change - PNAS, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceRegenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 28, 2025,
View SourceRegenerative Grazing: A Compelling Climate Strategy, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceSoil carbon - Department for Environment and Water, accessed August 13, 2025,
View SourceSoil carbon and inferred net primary production in high- and low-intensity grazing systems on the New England Tableland, eastern Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceSoil organic matter in temperate forest-grassland systems: A case study from the Southern Cis-Ural, Russia - E3S Web of Conferences, accessed August 28, 2025,
View SourceCommon soil types | Environment, land and water - Queensland Government
View SourceSoil Carbon Sequestration in Northern Grazing Lands - FutureBeef
View SourceSoil carbon sequestration in rangelands a critical review of the impacts of major management strategies - CSIRO Publishing, accessed May 13, 2025,
View SourceCritical review of the impacts of grazing intensity on soil organic carbon storage and other soil quality indicators in extensively managed grasslands - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025,
View Sourcefinal repport - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, accessed July 17, 2025,
View SourceSpatial distribution of soil microbial activity and soil properties ..., accessed August 13, 2025,
View SourceBaseline map of organic carbon in Australian soil to support national carbon accounting and monitoring under climate change - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourceAddressing the effects of soil organic carbon on water retention in US Pacific Northwest wheat–soil systems - Frontiers, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourceEffects of timber harvest on carbon pools in Ozark forests - Canadian Science Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025,
View SourceA farmer's guide to increasing Soil Organic Carbon under pastures - NSW Department of Primary Industries
View SourceThe Abundance of Microbial Functional Genes in Grassy Woodlands ..., accessed August 4, 2025,
View SourceTEN WAYS - to build soil carbon - Local Land Services, accessed August 5, 2025,
View SourceFull article: Exploring the barriers to farmer participation in soil carbon projects under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme - Taylor & Francis Online
View SourceChallenging claimed benefits of soil carbon sequestration for mitigating climate change and increasing crop yields: Heresy or sober realism? - PubMed Central
View SourceUnderstanding and quantifying whole soil-profile organic carbon transfer using an environmental tracer - CSIRO Publishing
View Sourcewww.researchgate.net, accessed August 5, 2025,
View Source