Fungal:Bacterial Ratio

AUS-TMS-AGR-SFB General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 0.8 to 1.5 index

Optimal Range: 0.8 to 1.5

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. The scoring engine uses 4 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 3 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

This report proposes an inferred target F:B ratio range of 0.8 – 1.5 (unitless) for well-established, high-performing regenerative cropping systems in this biome

Metric Definition:

The Fungal:Bacterial (F:B) ratio, typically measured as the ratio of fungal biomass to bacterial biomass (or their proxies such as specific phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) or gene copy numbers)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the inferred target range of the fungal to bacterial biomass ratio for well-established, high-performing regenerative cropping systems in the Australian Tropical Monsoonal Savannas biome under agricultural crop production.

Justification:

Synthesized estimate based on soil ecological principles and findings from related land use studies, as direct empirical research in the target agricultural systems and biome is lacking.

Sources (13)

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Dynamics of microbial biomass nitrogen in relation to plant nitrogen uptake during the crop growth period in a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania - Taylor & Francis Online Journal

Dynamics of microbial biomass nitrogen in relation to plant nitrogen uptake during the crop growth period in a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania - Taylor & Francis Online

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Dynamics of Sudanian Savanna-Woodland Ecosystem in Response to Disturbances - - Administrative page for SLU library Journal

Dynamics of Sudanian Savanna-Woodland Ecosystem in Response to Disturbances - - Administrative page for SLU library

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Effect of strategic tillage in soil microbial communities in Vertisols from Queensland, Australia - UQ eSpace, accessed July 17, 2025 Journal

Effect of strategic tillage in soil microbial communities in Vertisols from Queensland, Australia - UQ eSpace, accessed July 21, 2025

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EFFECTS OF PRESCRIBED FIRE ON SOIL BIOGEOCHEMISTRY IN A MIXED GRASS PRAIRIE A Dissertation Submitted to the College of Graduate - HARVEST (uSask)

Effects of fire on the soil microbial metabolic quotient: A global meta-analysis | Request PDF

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Final report - MLA Journal

Final report - MLA

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Microbial Regulation of - Soil Structural Dynamics - CABI Digital Library

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Preview of Montealegre CM, van Kessel C, Russelle MP, Sadowsky MJ.. Changes in microbial activity and composition in a pasture ecosystem exposed to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Plant Soil 243: 197-207 - ResearchGate

Montealegre CM, van Kessel C, Russelle MP, Sadowsky MJ.. Changes in microbial activity and composition in a pasture ecosystem exposed to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Plant Soil 243: 197-207 - ResearchGate Journal

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Preview of Responses of communities of soil organisms and plants to soil aging at two contrasting long-term chronosequences | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Responses of communities of soil organisms and plants to soil aging at two contrasting long-term chronosequences | Request PDF - ResearchGate Journal

Afforestation alters community structure of soil fungi | Request PDF - ResearchGate

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Responses of communities of soil organisms and plants to soil aging at two contrasting long-term chronosequences | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 19, 2025, Journal

Temporal and seasonal change in microbial community structure of ...

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Preview of Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and nitrification in three ...

Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and nitrification in three ... Government

Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and nitrification in three subtropical plantations in southern China - iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry

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Soil Quality and Its Management in Humid Subtropical and Tropical Environments - UKnowledge, accessed May 15, 2025,

Soil Quality and Its Management in Humid Subtropical and Tropical Environments - UKnowledge

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The Importance of Termites to the CH4 Balance of a Tropical Savanna Woodland of Northern Australia - ResearchGate Journal

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The legacy of intensive agricultural history on the soil health of (sub)tropical landscapes, accessed July 16, 2025,

The legacy of intensive agricultural history on the soil health of (sub)tropical landscapes, accessed July 16, 2025,

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Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical Monsoonal Savannas
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Agricultural Biodiversity Target
Evidence Type TargetCondition

Lifecycle

Status Superseded
Version 1
Effective From 31 May 2026
Effective To 31 May 2026

Notes

Proposed benchmark is an inferred target range due to the current lack of direct, published research in Australian tropical savanna regenerative cropping systems. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TMS-AGR-SFB family.