Gully Density — Benchmark Detail - Nature Index

Benchmark Value

0 m/ha

Direction: Lower 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 Point, 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

Point Primary Point Guard MaximumOnly Guard MaximumOnly Guard Point Guard

Evidence & Context

the benchmark for the best available condition of Gully Density for Urban & Developed Land Use within Australia's Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands is 0 m/ha.

Metric Definition:

Gully Density represents the density of active gullies, where an active gully is one showing signs of recent or ongoing erosion, such as a bare, unstabilized gully head (knickpoint), freshly scoured channels, or sediment deposits at its outlet.

Benchmark Definition:

The benchmark of 0 m/ha represents the density of active gullies in urban and developed land use areas.

Justification:

In the context of urban development, gully erosion is not a feature to be managed to a certain level, but a degradation process to be prevented entirely. Best-practice management, defined by Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), aims to eliminate the hydrological drivers of gully formation.

Sources (1)

Preview of Gully erosion | Land and soil | Environment and Heritage, accessed July 13, 2025,

Gully erosion | Land and soil | Environment and Heritage, accessed July 13, 2025, Government

Australia's Biodiversity and Climate Change - DAFF

Supporting Sources (28)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Water Sensitive Urban Design - Case Studies (Australia/Dubai) - ResearchGate, accessed July 13, 2025,

(PDF) Water Sensitive Urban Design - Case Studies (Australia/Dubai) - ResearchGate, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

WATER- SENSITIVE URBAN DESIGN AND PLANNING - Centre for Science and Environment

Preview of Advancing gully topographic threshold analysis using an automated algorithm and high-resolution topography - CSIRO Research Publications Repository, accessed July 16, 2025,

Advancing gully topographic threshold analysis using an automated algorithm and high-resolution topography - CSIRO Research Publications Repository, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Chapter 13 Gully erosion and its control - Queensland Government publications, accessed July 13, 2025

Preview of Australia's bioregions (IBRA) - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025

Australia's bioregions (IBRA) - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 7 (Regions)

Preview of Chapter 13 Gully erosion and its control - Queensland Government publications, accessed August 12, 2025

Chapter 13 Gully erosion and its control - Queensland Government publications, accessed August 12, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

The hydrogeomorphic influences on alluvial gully erosion along the Mitchell River fluvial megafan

Preview of East Australian Mediterranean Woodlands & Temperate Savannas ..., accessed July 15, 2025

East Australian Mediterranean Woodlands & Temperate Savannas ..., accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support

Plants of the mallee shrublands - Australian National Botanic Gardens, accessed July 13, 2025

Preview of Eastern Australian temperate forests - Wikipedia, accessed July 15, 2025

Eastern Australian temperate forests - Wikipedia, accessed July 15, 2025

Contextual Support

Eastern Australian temperate forests - Wikipedia

Preview of Great Western Woodlands - Wikipedia, accessed July 10, 2025,

Great Western Woodlands - Wikipedia, accessed July 10, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Great Western Woodlands - Wikipedia

Preview of Gully Erosion Assessment and Control Guide released - Local Land Services, accessed July 13, 2025,

Gully Erosion Assessment and Control Guide released - Local Land Services, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Gully Erosion Assessment and Control Guide released - Local Land Services

Preview of Gully erosion prediction across a large region: Murray–Darling Basin, Australia, accessed August 1, 2025,

Gully erosion prediction across a large region: Murray–Darling Basin, Australia, accessed August 1, 2025,

Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed July 20, 2025

Preview of Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025,

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Category:IBRA regions - Wikipedia

Preview of Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 7 (Regions), accessed July 13, 2025,

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA), Version 7 (Regions), accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Great Western Woodlands

Preview of nesplandscapes.edu.au, accessed May 15, 2025,

nesplandscapes.edu.au, accessed May 15, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Alluvial Gully Erosion Rates and Processes Across the Mitchell ...

Preview of NVIS Fact sheet MVG 32 – Mallee open woodlands and ... - DCCEEW, accessed July 13, 2025,

NVIS Fact sheet MVG 32 – Mallee open woodlands and ... - DCCEEW, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

East Australian Mediterranean Woodlands & Temperate Savannas (AU4) - One Earth, accessed July 13, 2025

Preview of Prioritising interventions for the reduction of erosion in classical gullies: a modelling study, accessed May 13, 2025

Prioritising interventions for the reduction of erosion in classical gullies: a modelling study, accessed May 13, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Report card on sustainable natural resource use in the rangelands

Preview of Program - CSIRO

Program - CSIRO

Contextual Support Government

Soils and land suitability – Accessible text - CSIRO

Preview of Program - CSIRO, accessed August 1, 2025,

Program - CSIRO, accessed August 1, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Rehabilitation effects on gully sediment yields and vegetation in a savanna rangeland - CSIRO Research Publications Repository

Preview of Protecting Australia's diverse soils and landscapes | Sustainable Food Trust, accessed July 13, 2025,

Protecting Australia's diverse soils and landscapes | Sustainable Food Trust, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) Causes and Effects of Gully Erosion on Agricultural Lands and the Environment, accessed July 27, 2025,

Preview of Repairing gully erosion in Western Australia | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 13, 2025,

Repairing gully erosion in Western Australia | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Managing Gully Erosion - NQ Dry Tropics, accessed July 27, 2025,

Preview of Save Our Soils - Soil Science Australia, accessed July 13, 2025,

Save Our Soils - Soil Science Australia, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support

Save Our Soils - Soil Science Australia

Preview of Sedimentation from landscape clearance-induced soil erosion threatens waterhole persistence in a semi-arid river system, southern Queensland, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 13, 2025,

Sedimentation from landscape clearance-induced soil erosion threatens waterhole persistence in a semi-arid river system, southern Queensland, Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Alluvial Gully Erosion Rates and Processes Across the Mitchell ...

Preview of Soil | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed August 3, 2025,

Soil | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed August 3, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

D11 Control of Erosion and Sedimentation (Design) - Wingecarribee Shire Council

Preview of Soil Erosion in Australia: Definition, Causes and Prevention, accessed July 13, 2025,

Soil Erosion in Australia: Definition, Causes and Prevention, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Erosion in Australia: Definition, Causes and Prevention, accessed July 27, 2025

Preview of Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 13, 2025,

Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING

Preview of Water Sensitive Design Guide for Rural Residential Subdivisions - WaterNSW, accessed July 13, 2025,

Water Sensitive Design Guide for Rural Residential Subdivisions - WaterNSW, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Water Sensitive Design Guide for Rural Residential Subdivisions - WaterNSW, accessed July 13, 2025

Preview of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)

Contextual Support

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)

Preview of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), accessed July 13, 2025,

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD), accessed July 13, 2025

Preview of Water sensitive urban design guideline June 2023 - Transport for NSW, accessed July 13, 2025,

Water sensitive urban design guideline June 2023 - Transport for NSW, accessed July 13, 2025,

Direct Evidence Journal

Water sensitive urban design guideline June 2023 - Transport for NSW, accessed July 13, 2025,

Preview of Water Sensitive Urban Design in North Queensland, accessed July 13, 2025,

Water Sensitive Urban Design in North Queensland, accessed July 13, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

HLW Report Card - Healthy Land & Water, accessed July 21, 2025

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Semi-Arid Shrublands & Open Woodlands
Land Use Urban & Developed Use
Assessment Conservation Target
Evidence Type TargetCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 31 May 2026

Notes

Upper Detrimental Threshold: 0 m/ha. The presence of any active gully (density > 0 m/ha) signifies a departure from best practice and a crossing of a detrimental threshold into a state of active landscape degradation.