Abstract
As a basal measure of soil bioengineering, the living brush mattress has been widely applied in riparian ecological protection forest construction. The living brush mattress shows favorable protective effects on riverbanks. However, there are few reports on the root structure and the soil strengthening benefit of the living brush mattress. The present work reports a series of experiments on root morphology and soil shear strength enhancement at the temporal and spatial scales. The object of the study is 24 living brush mattress trees constructed with Salix alba L. ‘Tristis’ (LBS hereafter). Traditional root morphology and mechanical measurement methods were used to collect the parameters. The results showed that the root systems of LBS had the characteristics of symmetry and upslope growth. The roots were mainly distributed in a cylindrical region of the soil (radius × thickness: 0.4 m × 0.5 m) and their biomass increased with different growth rates for the periods from 1 to 5 and from 5 to 7 years. Both age and slope position were factors that influence root growth. The root diameter falls within 0–5 mm, has a significant effect on the soil shear strength and provides a conical-shape potentiation zone to ensure the efficient protection of a riverbank. The results of this study demonstrate that LBS is an efficient and feasible engineering measure in the field of riverbank protection.
Highlights
Riverbank ecosystem functions play important roles in human society and economic development [1]
The live brush mattress comprises living shoots of plants that have been spread in horizontal rows on the surface of the bank such that the thick end is soaked in water and the soil is covered above the shoots
The significant linear relationship between the shear strength enhancement by roots in the diameter class from 0 to 5 mm and the number of roots or the root cross-sectional area was similar to that reported in earlier studies [43,52]. These results demonstrate that fine roots mainly increase soil shear strength, while thicker roots anchor the soil in the vertical direction [21,44]
Summary
Riverbank ecosystem functions play important roles in human society and economic development [1]. The concept of ecological riparian shelterbelts has been proposed in China [4], the traditional hardening protection methods, such as dry-stone masonry, concrete, and precast block revetments, are still applied in riverbank reinforcement projects due to a lack of theoretical research. 7.26 times that of the daily average water discharge in the flood season, and the event destroyed the bare bank and many riverbank hardening projects. According to the investigation of the soil bioengineering measure damage rate in the demonstration area after the flood, 100 m of a high-density. Forests 2018, 9, x FOR PEER REVIEW planting living brush mattress that was installed along a straight riverbank was approximately 75%. High-density planting living brush mattress that was installed along a straight riverbank was well preserved (Figure 1).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
