Effects of Root Properties and Branching Characteristics on Soil Reinforcement in the Jinyun Mountain, China

Plant ischolar_mains can substantially improve slope stability and prevent soil slippage. Many researchers have quantified effects of ischolar_main properties on soil reinforcement. However, the mechanism of ischolar_main architecture on shear strength increments needed to be studied and analysed. This paper presents a man-made direct shear test to compare the effects of six tree species ischolar_mains on soil reinforcement. Thus, ischolar_main tensile strength, diameter, ischolar_main area ratio (RAR), inclination and distribution were measured to study the differences between ischolar_main architecture. Meanwhile, stress propagation simulations were conducted to analyse the mechanisms of ischolar_main architecture on soil reinforcement. Results showed that shear strength increment value corresponded to P. massoniana (42.4 kPa), followed by C. camphora (37.6 kPa), N. aurata (36.0 kPa), L. kwangtungensis (28.8 kPa), G. acuminata (27.4 kPa) and S. laurina (23.0 kPa). Root architecture that contained tapischolar_mains (VH-type) and widely distributed ischolar_mains (H-type) showed larger shear strength increments than that contained oblique ischolar_mains (R-type) when the initial friction between soil and ischolar_main was ignored. When there are thick, widely distributed ischolar_mains in the ischolar_main system, the resistance of ischolar_main architecture on shear failure would become larger. Root diameter class and RAR cannot be used to reflect the effects of ischolar_main architecture on soil shear strength increment. While estimating the different tree species ischolar_mains on soil reinforcement in field, initial friction between soil and ischolar_main should be considered as important as ischolar_main architecture.