Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-AMR-CON-SWI General High confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 5 to 15 mm/hr

Thresholds: Lower: 5, Upper: 15

Optimal Range: 5 to 15

Direction: Lower 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 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 Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

Synthesizing these independent lines of evidence, a steady-state soil water infiltration rate that falls consistently within the range of 5–15 mm/hr can be considered a critical lower threshold for this biome.

Metric Definition:

Steady-state soil water infiltration rate in mm/hr below which ecosystem function is impaired and degradation occurs.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the critical lower threshold soil water infiltration rate range in millimeters per hour below which the ecosystem shifts to a dysfunctional, erosion-prone state in arid mountain ranges and uplands.

Justification:

This threshold is supported by multiple independent studies including degraded sites with infiltration rates as low as 5 mm/hr and hydrological modelling indicating 10 mm/hr as a limiting case for bare, degraded soils.

Sources (3)

Preview of Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina - project bedrock

Effects of soil degradation on infiltration rates in grazed semiarid rangelands of northeastern Patagonia, Argentina - project bedrock Journal

Effects of Grazing on Water Erosion, Compaction and Infiltration on Grasslands - MDPI

View Source

Preview of Monitor Soil Degradation or Triage for Soil Security? An Australian Challenge - MDPI, accessed July 19, 2025,

Monitor Soil Degradation or Triage for Soil Security? An Australian Challenge - MDPI, accessed July 19, 2025, Journal

Monitor Soil Degradation or Triage for Soil Security? An Australian Challenge - MDPI, accessed July 8, 2025,

View Source

Water Infiltration Rates into Unponded and Ponded Soils in Central Australia - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Journal

Water Infiltration Rates into Unponded and Ponded Soils in Central Australia - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

View Source

Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Infiltration rates and soil moisture in a groved mulga community near Alice Springs, arid central Australia: Evidence for complex internal rainwater redistribution in a runoff-runon landscape | Request PDF - ResearchGate

Direct Evidence Journal

View Source

Context

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

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 19 Mar 2026

Notes

Landscapes functioning at or below this level are hydrologically impaired and on a trajectory of degradation.

Related Benchmarks

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