An exploratory analysis of vegetation strategies to reduce shallow landslide activity on loess hillslopes, Northeast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

作者：Xiasong Hu, Gary Brierley, Haili Zhu, Guorong Li, Jiangtao Fu, Xiao-qing Mao, Qinqin Yu, Qiao Na · 发表于：Journal of Mountain Science · 年份：2013 · DOI：10.1007/s11629-013-2584-x · 被引用次数：57 · 研究领域：Tree Root and Stability Studies、Plant responses to water stress、Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics

Abstract Heavy summer rainfall induces significant soil erosion and shallow landslide activity on the loess hillslopes of the Xining Basin at the northeast margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This study examines the mechanical effects of five native shrubs that can be used to reduce shallow landslide activity. We measured single root tensile resistance and shear resistance, root anatomical structure and direct shear and triaxial shear for soil without roots and five rootsoil composite systems. Results show that Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. possessed the strongest roots, followed by Caragana korshinskii Kom., Zygophyllum xanthoxylon (Bunge) Maxim., Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. and Lycium chinense Mill. Single root strength and shear resistance relationships with root diameter are characterized by power or exponential relations, consistent with the Mohr-Coulomb law. Root mechanical strength reflects their anatomical structure, especially the percentage of phloem and xylem cells, and the degree and speed of periderm lignifications. The cohesion force of root-soil composite systems is notably higher than that of soil without roots, with increasing amplitudes of cohesion force for A. canescens , C. korshinskii , Z. xanthoxylon , N. tangutorum and L. chinense of 75.9%, 75.1%, 36.2%, 24.6% and 17.0 % respectively. When subjected to shear forces, the soil without root samples show much greater lateral deformation than the root-soil composite systems, reflecting the restraining effe...