These Standards describe the knowledge and skills expected of an individual to gain entry to and, along with other accreditation requirements, meet the minimum requirements for a Registered Soil Practitioner – Soil Carbon.
| Section 1 – Soil Sampling and Description for Soil Carbon | ||
| Section 1 – Field sampling | ||
| 1.1.1 | Demonstrated understanding of the importance of appropriate depth segregation and how to address barriers with sampling to a particular depth. | |
| 1.1.2 | Demonstrated understanding of where sampling errors can occur and how to address them. | |
| 1.1.3 | Demonstrated understanding of the importance of sampling method. | |
| 1.1.4 | Demonstrated understanding of the importance of bulk density and the gravel fraction. | |
| 1.1.5 | Demonstrated understanding of units (for example concentrations, stocks, volumes, unit conversation) used for soil carbon sampling. | |
| 1.1.6 | Demonstrated knowledge of how sampling for soil carbon projects differs to other soil sampling. | |
| Section 1.2 – Carbon in the Landscape | ||
| 1.2.1 | Demonstrated basic understanding of the carbon cycle. | |
| 1.2.2 | Demonstrated knowledge on how soil organic carbon varies throughout the soil profile. | |
| Section 1.3 – Soil Description | ||
| 1.3.1 | Demonstrated ability to determine the mineral soil surface. | |
| 1.3.2 | Demonstrated ability to determine soil horizons. | |
| Section 1.4 – Record Keeping | ||
| 1.4.1 | Evidence for demonstrated recording of field relevant observations | |
| 1.4.2 | Demonstrated knowledge of record keeping and information management with regards sample management, including chain of custody. | |
| Section 2 – Soil Carbon Dynamics | ||
| Section 2.1 – Soil Organic Carbon in the Landscape | ||
| 2.1.1 | Demonstrated understanding of carbon in the landscape, including soil organic matter and how it differs between management systems, and temporally and spatially across the landscape. | |
| 2.1.2 | Demonstrated understanding of different forms of carbon in the landscape, including organic carbon and inorganic carbon. | |
| 2.1.3 | Demonstrated understanding of how inputs and management influence changes in carbon stocks. | |
| 2.1.4 | Demonstrated knowledge of abiotic drivers of carbon variation in the landscape and how these relate to the risks of future carbon sequestration. | |
| 2.1.5 | Demonstrate an understanding of temporal scale of change in soil carbon stocks. | |
| Section 2.2 – Carbon gains and losses | ||
| 2.2.1 | Demonstrate an understanding of carbon cycling due to biological factors. | |
| 2.2.2 | Demonstrate an understanding of carbon cycling due to abiotic factors. | |
| Section 3 – Soil Sampling Design and Implementation | ||
| Section 3.1 – Sample Design | ||
| 3.1.1 | Demonstrated understanding of best practice soil sampling design for a range of landscapes and scales and determine and justify the sampling density (landscape variability). | |
| 3.1.2 | Demonstrated understanding of different sampling design principles e.g. probabilistic (design-based) and non-probabilistic (model-based). | |
| 3.1.3 | Demonstrated knowledge of suitable provisions when sampling according to the sample design is not possible e.g. alternative sampling sites. | |
| Section 4 – Land Management | ||
| Section 4.1 – Management Change Practice to Build Soil Carbon | ||
| 4.1.1 | Demonstrated understanding of what land practices would be reasonably expected to increase soil carbon for a given soil type, region and faming system e.g., what do you do differently to cause an increase in carbon (additionality). | |
| 4.1.2 | Demonstrated understanding of the source of carbon and the impact of the addition of external organic amendments (i.e., changes in carbon due to increased biomass is included in determination of carbon increase, but carbon contained in amendments is excluded). | |
| 4.1.3 | Demonstrated understanding of how fertilisers and inorganic ameliorants can impact productivity and organic carbon inputs. | |
| 4.1.4 | Demonstrated understanding of mode of action of biological amendments. | |
| Section 4.2 – Retention of Carbon in the Landscape | ||
| 4.2.1 | Demonstrated understanding of macroscale actions in place to retain carbon in the landscape (ground cover, limiting soil disturbance, rotation management, nitrogen levels. | |
| 4.2.2 | Demonstrated understanding of the limitations of the soil types and their carbon saturation (what increase can you reasonably expect based on thresholds for that soil region) (TOC). | |
| 4.2.3 | Demonstrated understanding of carbon variability across the landscape at paddock or at the sub-paddock scale. | |
| Section 5 – Monitoring | ||
| Section 5.1 – Land management | ||
| 5.1.1 | Demonstrated ability to collect and report information pertaining to the implementation of the management practice, and evidence that it is reasonably expected to increase soil carbon (e.g. increase in groundcover, use of perennial species, increase yield/biomass, improved soil nutrition etc). | |
| 5.1.2 | Demonstrated ability to calculate forward estimates of soil carbon. | |
| 5.1.3 | Demonstrated knowledge of suitable risks, monitoring planning, and what needs to be tracked. | |
| 5.1.4 | Can identify uncertainties associated with calculations of temporal soil carbon changes and gain practical insights into the significance of discounts. | |
| Section 5.2 – Emissions monitoring | ||
| 5.2.1 | Understanding of the data required to perform whole project carbon accounting as it relates to the collection and documenting of information around GHG emissions | |