Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-AIF-FOR-SWI General High confidence

Benchmark Value

0.5 mm/hr
Thresholds: Lower: 0.5, Upper: —
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: LowerThreshold

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 2 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 1 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary LowerThreshold Guard

Evidence & Context

A critical lower threshold, indicating significant functional impairment, is identified at rates below approximately 0.5 mm/hr (12 mm/day).

Metric Definition:

Soil Water Infiltration Rate lower critical threshold below which hydrological function is impaired.

Benchmark Definition:

Lower critical threshold for soil water infiltration rate indicating functional impairment in arid inland floodplains.

Justification:

Rates below 0.5 mm/hr correspond to degraded, sodic, or non-self-mulching clays with increased runoff, erosion, and water stress.

Sources (1)

Preview of Riverine soils: a guide to the soils of the Lower Murrumbidgee Floodplain
Riverine soils: a guide to the soils of the Lower Murrumbidgee Floodplain Journal

Riverine soils: a guide to the soils of the Lower Murrumbidgee Floodplain

View Source

Supporting Sources (30)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of 2.7.3.1 'Floodplain or lowland riverine' landscape group - Bioregional Assessments |
2.7.3.1 'Floodplain or lowland riverine' landscape group - Bioregional Assessments |
Contextual Support Journal

Managing soils - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 8, 2025,

View Source
Preview of ABARES report reaffirms sustainability, sovereign capability and climate credentials of Australian native forestry, accessed August 10, 2025,
ABARES report reaffirms sustainability, sovereign capability and climate credentials of Australian native forestry, accessed August 10, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Review of fertiliser use in Australian forestry - Forest & Wood Products Australia

View Source
Preview of An Event-Based Approach to the Hydrology of Arid Zone Rivers in the Channel Country of Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
An Event-Based Approach to the Hydrology of Arid Zone Rivers in the Channel Country of Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

An Event-Based Approach to the Hydrology of Arid Zone Rivers in the Channel Country of Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Arid Swamps | WetlandInfo, accessed August 1, 2025,
Arid Swamps | WetlandInfo, accessed August 1, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Arid Swamps | WetlandInfo, accessed July 19, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Australia's State of the Forests Report
Australia's State of the Forests Report
Contextual Support

Australia's State of the Forests Report

View Source
Preview of Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed August 12, 2025
Australia's State of the Forests Report, accessed August 12, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Victoria, accessed March 28, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC
Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC
Contextual Support Government

(PDF) Ecological response of Eucalyptus camaldulensis (river red ..., accessed July 19, 2025

View Source
Preview of Chapter 10 Land management on flood plains - Queensland Government publications
Chapter 10 Land management on flood plains - Queensland Government publications
Contextual Support Journal

Chapter 10 Land management on flood plains - Queensland Government publications, accessed July 17, 2025,

View Source
Preview of CO₂ sink to source: Arid Australia's climate and rainfall driven tipping points
CO₂ sink to source: Arid Australia's climate and rainfall driven tipping points
Contextual Support Journal

NVIS Fact sheet MVG 19 – Tussock grasslands, accessed May 19, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Comparing infiltration rates in soils managed with conventional and alternative farming methods: A meta-analysis
Comparing infiltration rates in soils managed with conventional and alternative farming methods: A meta-analysis
Contextual Support Journal

Comparing infiltration rates in soils managed with conventional and alternative farming methods: A meta-analysis

View Source
Preview of Description of Ecological Communities: Arid Eucalypt Woodlands - DCCEEW
Description of Ecological Communities: Arid Eucalypt Woodlands - DCCEEW
Contextual Support Journal

Description of Ecological Communities: Arid Eucalypt Woodlands - DCCEEW

View Source
Preview of DISPERSIVE SOIL MANUAL - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
DISPERSIVE SOIL MANUAL - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
Contextual Support Journal

DISPERSIVE SOIL MANUAL - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

View Source
Preview of Hydraulic Failure Defines the Recovery and Point of Death in Water-Stressed Conifers | Plant Physiology | Oxford Academic
Hydraulic Failure Defines the Recovery and Point of Death in Water-Stressed Conifers | Plant Physiology | Oxford Academic
Contextual Support Journal

Hydraulic Failure Defines the Recovery and Point of Death in Water-Stressed Conifers | Plant Physiology | Oxford Academic

View Source
Preview of Improved forest management - CSIRO, accessed July 12, 2025,
Improved forest management - CSIRO, accessed July 12, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Ecosystem wicks: Woodland trees enhance water infiltration in a fragmented agricultural landscape in eastern Australia, accessed May 15, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Infiltration
Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Infiltration
Contextual Support Journal

Appendix H - Water Infiltration Modelling - NTEPA, accessed July 21, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Infiltration, accessed July 6, 2025,
Inherent Factors Affecting Soil Infiltration, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

risks and impacts of plant industries on soil condition - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

View Source
Preview of Investigating Plant Responses to Water Stress via Plant Hydraulics Pathway - EGUsphere
Investigating Plant Responses to Water Stress via Plant Hydraulics Pathway - EGUsphere
Contextual Support Journal

Investigating Plant Responses to Water Stress via Plant Hydraulics Pathway - EGUsphere

View Source
Preview of Nationally consistent mapping of wildland fuel types across Australia using satellite-derived vegetation structural data - CSIRO Publishing
Nationally consistent mapping of wildland fuel types across Australia using satellite-derived vegetation structural data - CSIRO Publishing
Contextual Support Journal

Innovative Forestry and Forest Industries Research in Australia

View Source
Preview of Protection of Lake Eyre Basin rivers and floodplains - Queensland Environment Department
Protection of Lake Eyre Basin rivers and floodplains - Queensland Environment Department
Regulatory Framework Government

Managing flows for ephemeral streams - Inside Cotton

View Source
Preview of Quantifying water requirements of riparian river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Implications for the management of environmental flows - USGS Publications Warehouse
Quantifying water requirements of riparian river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Implications for the management of environmental flows - USGS Publications Warehouse
Contextual Support Government

Quantifying water requirements of riparian river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Implications for the management of environmental flows - USGS Publications Warehouse

View Source
Preview of Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources ...
Rangeland Soil Quality: Infiltration - Natural Resources ...
Contextual Support Journal

RIvER RED guMs AND wooDLAND FoREsts - Natural Resources Commission, accessed July 19, 2025,

View Source
Preview of River red gum – more than just a tree - CSIROpedia
River red gum – more than just a tree - CSIROpedia
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

River red gum – more than just a tree - CSIROpedia

View Source
Preview of River red gums | Environment and Heritage
River red gums | Environment and Heritage
Contextual Support Journal

Soil condition | NSW State of the Environment

View Source
Preview of Role of soil drying in nitrogen mineralization and microbial community function in semi-arid grasslands of North-West Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Role of soil drying in nitrogen mineralization and microbial community function in semi-arid grasslands of North-West Australia | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support

Microbial impact on initial soil formation in arid and semiarid environments under simulated climate change - Frontiers, accessed July 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil condition | NSW State of the Environment, accessed August 10, 2025,
Soil condition | NSW State of the Environment, accessed August 10, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed July 28, 2025,

View Source
Preview of State Soils - Soil Science Australia
State Soils - Soil Science Australia
Contextual Support Journal

State Soils - Soil Science Australia

View Source
Preview of The floodplain inundation history of the Murray-Darling Basin through two-monthly maximum water depth maps - PMC
The floodplain inundation history of the Murray-Darling Basin through two-monthly maximum water depth maps - PMC
Contextual Support Journal

The floodplain inundation history of the Murray-Darling Basin through two-monthly maximum water depth maps - PMC

View Source
Preview of The-Potential-Use-for-Groundwater-Use-by-Vegetation-in-the-Aust.-Arid-Zone.pdf - Northern Territory Government
The-Potential-Use-for-Groundwater-Use-by-Vegetation-in-the-Aust.-Arid-Zone.pdf - Northern Territory Government
Contextual Support Journal

Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) Grassy Woodlands and Derived ...

View Source
Preview of Understanding Water Movement Throughout Different Soil Profiles ..., accessed July 6, 2025,
Understanding Water Movement Throughout Different Soil Profiles ..., accessed July 6, 2025,
Methodology Source Journal

A closer look at rainforests - Forestry Corporation

View Source
Preview of Understanding Water Movement Throughout Different Soil Profiles Across the Upper North
Understanding Water Movement Throughout Different Soil Profiles Across the Upper North
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Understanding Water Movement Throughout Different Soil Profiles Across the Upper North

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 2
  • Effective From 18 Mar 2026

Notes

Below this threshold, soil cannot effectively absorb water leading to ecosystem degradation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AIF-FOR-SWI family.

— mm/hr High
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
OptimalRange Active v1
— mm/hr High
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
OptimalRange Active v1
0.5 mm/hr High
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
LowerThreshold Superseded v1