Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

AUS-AMR-CON-SOC General Low confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 0.6 to 1.6 %

Optimal Range: 0.6 to 1.6

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.

Evidence & Context

Indicative SOC ranges for other textures in a high-health state are lower for sandy soils (e.g., Tenosols, sandy Kandosols), typically ranging from 0.6% to 1.0%, while finer-textured clay loams have the potential to support higher levels, potentially exceeding 1.4%.

Metric Definition:

Indicative Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) ranges by soil texture class in conservation areas.

Benchmark Definition:

Texture-specific indicative SOC ranges reflecting ecological health.

Justification:

Ranges are based on measured values from reference sites and broader datasets showing texture-dependent SOC storage capacity.

Sources (1)

The relationship between soil organic carbon and soil surface characteristics in the semi-arid rangelands of southern Australia Journal

The relationship between soil organic carbon and soil surface characteristics in the semi-arid rangelands of southern Australia

View Source

Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Is there a critical level of organic matter in the agricultural soils of temperate regions: A review | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Contextual Support

Is there a critical level of organic matter in the agricultural soils of temperate regions: A review | Request PDF - ResearchGate

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
Assessment Conservation Target
Evidence Type HealthyOperationalRange

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 19 Mar 2026

Notes

Sandy soils have lower SOC ranges; loamy soils support benchmark levels; clay loams can exceed benchmark but limited by water availability. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AMR-CON-SOC family.