Mechanical properties of thin roots of tree species for shallow landslide protection along an altitudinal gradient

Abstract

Shallow landslides and erosional problems in mountain areas are a recurrent issue that can represent a threat to human life and impact landscape ecology in many ways. Soil bioengineering is an approach that uses biological and ecological knowledge and engineering design principles to restore shallow-landslide-affected slopes. Tree species can be used as elements of soil bioengineering to reduce erosion and provide reinforcement through their roots. For this reason, we estimated the mechanical properties of thin tree roots from three vegetation communities along an elevational gradient. Our results showed that Piper amalago and Pinus teocote consistently exhibited higher mechanical properties than all species analyzed. The absence of a consistent altitudinal trend suggests that local site conditions and species-specific traits have a stronger influence on root mechanics than elevation alone.