The influence of herbaceous vegetation on slope stability – A review

Löbmann, Michael; Geitner, Clemens; Wellstein, Camilla; Zerbe, Stefan

doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103328

Cited by 104 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…Soil erosion on slopes is the downward displacement of the soil commonly found on road embankments and in areas of mountainous terrain (Stokes et al 2014). The extension of soil erosion may lead to the shallow slope failure known as the superficial removal of the small-scale topsoil and vegetation cover (Hess et al 2017;L€ obmann et al 2020), which causes severe adverse impacts on both natural environment and human properties (Zieher et al 2016;Arca et al 2018). Vegetation cover on slopes is one of the most important forms of erosion control and slope stabilization (Stokes et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of geocell as soil stabilization and soil erosion countermeasures

Song

et al. 2021

Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk

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This work proposed a composite soil reinforcement method to support the vegetation growth and improve slope stability using geocell structures and wheat straws. Twelve physical models were developed for assessing rainfall intensities, slope steepness and geocell sizes on the soil erosion. The results showed that: (1) the geocell reinforced slopes maintained a good integrity, but the bare slope showed horizontal cracks; (2) the soil erosion was less than 40 g and more than 4000 g under the 50 mm/h and 100 mm/h rainfall intensities; the largest slope displacement was 2.5 mm and 7.5 mm, respectively; (3) the steep slopes showed a largest soil erosion of 5000 g and largest displacement of 8 cm, compared to 4500 g and 5.5 cm for gentle slopes; soil water contents were 40% and 30% for the steep and gentle slopes; (4) the measured soil erosion under the 100 mm/h rainfall was 4000 g and 5000 g for the small and large geocell reinforced slopes; the displacement of small geocell reinforced slopes were typically 1-2.5 cm smaller than large geocell reinforced slopes. It is concluded that the small geocell reinforced slope at a small inclination and low rainfall intensity has the best stability.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of geocell as soil stabilization and soil erosion countermeasures

Song

et al. 2021

Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk

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“…Plants with fibrous roots were more effective than those with taproots in reducing soil detachment [ 43 ]. In the riparian zones of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir, high water tables have an impact on the abundance of woody plants rather than herbaceous plants [ 44 , 45 ]. Therefore, herbaceous plants have easier access to soil nutrients in the riparian zone than woody plants, thus benefiting their survival and development [ 46 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Plantation Responses to Periodic Submergence in Massive Dam and Reservoir Riparian Zones: Changes in Soil Properties and Bacterial Community Characteristics

Arif

et al. 2021

Biology

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Plant and microbiome interactions are necessary for plant nutrient acquisition. However, relatively little is known about the responses of roots, bulk, and rhizosphere soil microbial communities in different artificial vegetation types (woody and herbaceous) in riparian areas of massive dams and reservoirs. Therefore, this study aims to assess such responses at elevations of 165–170 m a.s.l. in the riparian zones of the Three Gorges Dam Reservoir, China. The samples were collected containing the rhizosphere soil, bulk soil, and roots of herbaceous and woody vegetation at different emergence stages in 2018. Then, all the samples were analyzed to quantify the soil properties, bacterial community characteristics, and their interaction in the early and late emergence phases. In different periods, the weight of dominant soil bacteria, including Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Cyanobacteria, was higher, and their composition was different in the rhizosphere, bulk soil, and endophytes. Moreover, the soil co-occurrence networks indicated that the weight of soil physical properties was higher than chemical properties in the early emergence stage. In contrast, the weight of chemical properties was relatively higher in the late emergence stage. Furthermore, the richness and diversity of the bacterial community were mainly affected by soil organic matter. This study suggests that these herbaceous and woody vegetation are suitable for planting in reservoir areas affected by hydrology and human disturbance in light of soil nutrients and soil microbial communities, respectively. Additionally, these results provide valuable information to inoculate the soil with key microbiota members by applying fertilizers, potentially improving plant health and soil production.

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“…As reported in the technical literature [92], the lack of dense vegetation turf does not allow full exploitation of some hydrological and mechanical benefits provided by vegetation, making slopes more unstable and more prone to erosion processes. The presence of vegetation reduces both runoff and rainfall infiltration [45,92], while the roots of grasses and shrubs increase the aggregation of soil particles, diminishing their susceptibility to erosion [93][94][95][96][97]. Moreover, the reinforcement provided by roots can play a significant role in the stabilization of shallow mass movements [94,98], especially in cohesionless and thin soil deposits such as those mantling the slopes of the study area [99].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of Bioengineering Techniques as Geo-Hydrological Risk Mitigation Measures in a Highly Valuable Cultural Landscape: Experiences from the Cinque Terre National Park (Italy)

Pepe

Baudinelli²,

Zanini³

et al. 2020

Sustainability

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In this work, experiences from the use of bioengineering techniques as geo-hydrological risk mitigation measures within the territory of Cinque Terre National Park (Eastern Liguria, Italy) after an extreme rainfall event that occurred on 25 October 2011 are described. This rainstorm was responsible for intense erosive processes and triggered numerous shallow landslides, causing severe structural and economic damage. After this disastrous event, many bioengineering interventions were planned to stabilize the most unstable slopes and the most problematic streams. Based on multidisciplinary studies and field surveys, an inventory of the executed bioengineering works was compiled. Subsequently, on the basis of expert judgement, both the efficiency and effectiveness of the works three years after their construction were examined. Furthermore, the compliance of the executed works with the design requirements was analysed. This study revealed that some of the investigated works lack post-intervention maintenance and require the adoption of remedial measures aimed at improving the biotechnical functions of live materials, which are often ineffective. This case study highlights the importance of technical aspects that should be considered during the design phase of bioengineering works, especially when implemented within protected areas. Specifically, it would be greatly helpful to define instructions for post-intervention maintenance and monitoring and to perform vegetational studies. Considering the great cultural and natural heritage of the study area, the obtained results are expected to provide useful information for the definition of guidelines for the best practices to be adopted when future bioengineering works are planned for geo-hydrological risk management purposes.

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The influence of herbaceous vegetation on slope stability – A review

Cited by 104 publications

References 107 publications

The use of geocell as soil stabilization and soil erosion countermeasures

The use of geocell as soil stabilization and soil erosion countermeasures

Artificial Plantation Responses to Periodic Submergence in Massive Dam and Reservoir Riparian Zones: Changes in Soil Properties and Bacterial Community Characteristics

Application of Bioengineering Techniques as Geo-Hydrological Risk Mitigation Measures in a Highly Valuable Cultural Landscape: Experiences from the Cinque Terre National Park (Italy)

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