Analytical analysis of the mechanical and hydrological effects of vegetation on shallow slope stability

Abstract

Analytical solutions are proposed considering the hydrological and mechanical effects of roots with different root architectures on shallow slope stability. Analytical parametric studies show that an exponential root has more prominent hydrological and mechanical effects than a uniform one. At drying conditions, the hydrological effect becomes more significant in gentler slopes, while the opposite is true for the mechanical effect. At a given slope angle, the hydrological and mechanical effects increase with transpiration rate and root tensile strength, respectively. After rainfall (with a 10-year return period), the hydrological effect vanishes almost entirely, and hence the mechanical effect dominates slope stability.