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Effect of herbaceous plant root density on slope stability in a shallow landslide-prone area

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Abstract

To evaluate the effects of herbaceous plants’ roots density on soil structure and slope stability in a shallow landslide-affected area, we determined the mechanical characteristics of roots of four herbs (Cynodon dactylon, Artemisia sacrorum, Digitaria sanguinalis, and Clematis florida) growing on slopes prone to landslides and analyzed their effects on soil physicochemical properties. Root tensile strength and shear strength of root–soil composites were determined at different root densities. The slope safety factor was simulated using the strength reduction method. Compared with bare land soil, rhizosphere soils were characterized by higher bulk density, porosity, nutrient content, aggregate content, and greater stability (p < 0.01). Among the four plant species studied, C. florida improved soil structure and soil nutrient contents most effectively. The roots of A. sacrorum displayed the highest tensile strength, reaching up to 248 Mpa. The root–soil complexes of A. sacrorum displayed the highest cohesion and cohesion growth rate compared to bare land. The roots of A.sacrrorum can therefore provide additional cohesion, while the cohesion increase rate of soil without roots varies from 83.30 to 195.94%. The cohesion and safety factor of root–soil complexes of C. dactylon decreased with increasing root density, while those of D. sanguinalis increased with increasing root density. Thus, herbs stabilize slopes by improving soil structure and the mechanical properties of their roots.

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The data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.

Abbreviations

BD:

Soil bulk density

D:

Fractal dimension of soil aggregate

FoS:

Factor of safety

MWD:

Soil aggregate mass average weight diameter

R0.25 :

Agglomerate content > 0.25 mm

TN:

Soil total nitrogen

TOC:

Soil total organic carbon

TP:

Soil total phosphorus

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for this research was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant (NSFC 41971051) and The Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (2019QZKK0603).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Earth and Environmental Sciences & MOE Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Jia Li, Xia Wang, Haixia Jia, Yang Liu, Yunfei Zhao, Changming Shi & Furong Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China

    Xia Wang, Haixia Jia & Yunfei Zhao

  3. Institute of Geological Hazards Prevention, Gansu Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China

    Jia Li, Yang Liu, Changming Shi & Furong Zhang

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  1. Jia Li
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  2. Xia Wang
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Li, J., Wang, X., Jia, H. et al. Effect of herbaceous plant root density on slope stability in a shallow landslide-prone area. Nat Hazards 112, 2337–2360 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05268-0

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