Soil Moisture

AUS-TMI-AGR-SMO General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

15 %
Range: 7.5 to 15 %
Thresholds: Lower: 3.75, Upper: 15
Optimal Range: 7.5 to 15
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: Point

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 7 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 6 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary Point Guard OptimalRange Guard LowerThreshold Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard UpperThreshold Guard

Evidence & Context

This value of 15% represents the target soil moisture content for a soil at Field Capacity, epitomizing the "best available condition" where water is abundant for ecological processes without being excessive.

Metric Definition:

Volumetric Water Content (VWC) at Field Capacity, representing the soil moisture content at the upper limit of the soil's water holding capacity (Field Capacity).

Benchmark Definition:

Soil moisture content at Field Capacity for volcanic agricultural soils on Norfolk Island, representing the optimal water availability for ecological processes without excess.

Justification:

The benchmark is derived from the upper limit of the modelled Soil Water Holding Capacity for the 0-60 cm depth profile, representing Field Capacity, based on a robust, field-calibrated model from the CSIRO Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment (NIWRA).

Sources (2)

Preview of Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment - CSIRO
Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment - CSIRO Government

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Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

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Categories - Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed July 27, 2025,
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Categories - SOIL - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed July 25, 2025,
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Categories - soil moisture - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed July 25, 2025,
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How do you grow a palm? The secret's in the soil. - Botany One, accessed July 25, 2025,
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Karst Features of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) - Helictite - Journal of Australasian Speleological Research, accessed July 25, 2025,
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Karst Features of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) - Helictite - Journal of Australasian Speleological Research, accessed July 25, 2025,

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Lord Howe Island Biodiversity Management Plan - appendices, flora, accessed July 25, 2025,
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Modern Soil Moisture Monitoring for Drought Resilience, accessed July 7, 2025,
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Norfolk Island - Wikipedia, accessed July 30, 2025,
Contextual Support

Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment, accessed July 30, 2025,

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Norfolk Island soil drainage DSM attribute - CSIRO Data Access Portal, accessed July 25, 2025,
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Preview of Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment, accessed July 30, 2025,
Norfolk Island Water Resource Assessment, accessed July 30, 2025,
Direct Evidence Journal

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Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands
  • Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 15 Mar 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 3.75 %. Upper Detrimental Threshold: 15 %. Optimal Range: 7.5-15 %. No direct in-situ soil moisture data from best-practice agricultural sites exists for this biome. Exceeding Field Capacity can lead to nutrient leaching and damage to coral reef ecosystems.