Herbaceous Vegetation in Slope Stabilization: A Comparative Review of Mechanisms, Advantages, and Practical Applications

Chuangang Gong (), Dazhi Ni, Yuna Liu, Yalei Li, Qingmei Huang, Yu Tian and Hao Zhang
Additional contact information
Chuangang Gong: Coal Industry Engineering Research Center of Mining Area Environmental and Disaster Cooperative Monitoring, Huainan 232001, China
Dazhi Ni: Coal Industry Engineering Research Center of Mining Area Environmental and Disaster Cooperative Monitoring, Huainan 232001, China
Yuna Liu: Coal Industry Engineering Research Center of Mining Area Environmental and Disaster Cooperative Monitoring, Huainan 232001, China
Yalei Li: Coal Industry Engineering Research Center of Mining Area Environmental and Disaster Cooperative Monitoring, Huainan 232001, China
Qingmei Huang: Coal Industry Engineering Research Center of Mining Area Environmental and Disaster Cooperative Monitoring, Huainan 232001, China
Yu Tian: School of Environment and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Hao Zhang: Baorixile Energy Co., Ltd., National Energy Group, Hulunbuir 021008, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: Shallow slope instability poses a significant ecological threat, often leading to severe environmental degradation. While vegetation, particularly woody plants, is commonly employed in slope stabilization, herbaceous vegetation offers distinct and underexplored advantages. This paper reviews the role of herbaceous plants in enhancing slope stability, analyzing their mechanical and ecological mechanisms. Through an extensive review of the literature, this review challenges the prevailing view that woody vegetation is superior for slope stabilization, finding that herbaceous plants can be equally or more effective under certain conditions. The key findings include the identification of specific root parameters and species that contribute to soil reinforcement and erosion control. The review highlights the need for further research on optimizing plant species selection and management practices to maximize the slope stabilization effects. These insights have practical implications for ecological slope engineering, offering guidance on integrating herbaceous vegetation into sustainable land management strategies.

Keywords: herbaceous vegetation; ecological slope stabilization; shallow slope damage; plant root system; biodiversity; slope engineering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/17/7620/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/17/7620/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:17:p:7620-:d:1470068

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().