The contribution of plant root systems to slope stability and soil erosion control has received a lot of attention in recent years. The plant root system is an intricate and adaptive object, and understanding the details of soil-root interaction is a difficult task. Although the morphology of a root system greatly influences its soilfixing efficiency, limited architectural work has been done in the context of slope stabilization and erosion control, and hence it remains unknown exactly which characteristics are important. Many of the published research methods are tedious and time-consuming. This review deals with the underlying mechanisms of shallow slope stabilization and erosion control by roots, especially as determined by their architectural characteristics. The effect of soil properties as well as the relative importance of different root sizes and of woody versus non-woody species are briefly discussed.Empirically and intuitively, architectural features seem to determine the effect of root systems on erosion phenomena and an effort is therefore made here to link both aspects. Still, the research to underpin this relationship is poorly developed. A variety of methods are available for detailed root system architectural measurement and analysis. Although, generally time-consuming, a full 3D architectural description followed by analysis in software such as AMAPmod offers the possibility to extract relevant information on almost any root system architectural characteristic. Combining several methods of measurement and analysis in a complementary way may be a useful option, especially in a context of modelling.
Summary• This study aims to link three-dimensional coarse root architecture to tree stability in mature timber trees with an average of 1-m rooting depth.• Undamaged and uprooted trees were sampled in a stand damaged by a storm. Root architecture was measured by three-dimensional (3-D) digitizing. The distribution of root volume by root type and in wind-oriented sectors was analysed.• Mature Pinus pinaster root systems were organized in a rigid 'cage' composed of a taproot, the zone of rapid taper of horizontal surface roots and numerous sinkers and deep roots, imprisoning a large mass of soil and guyed by long horizontal surface roots. Key compartments for stability exhibited strong selective leeward or windward reinforcement. Uprooted trees showed a lower cage volume, a larger proportion of oblique and intermediate depth horizontal roots and less windoriented root reinforcement.• Pinus pinaster stability on moderately deep soils is optimized through a typical rooting pattern and a considerable structural adaptation to the prevailing wind and soil profile.
In numerous studies dealing with roots of woody plants, a description of the root system architecture is needed. During the twentieth century, several manual measurement methods were used, depending on the objectives of study. Due to the difficulties in accessing the roots and the duration of measurements, the studies generally involved a low number of root systems, were often qualitative and focused only on one specific application. Quantitative methods in plant architecture were largely developed in the last 40 years for aerial architecture. However, root systems have particular features and often need specific procedures. Since the end of the 1990s, new devices and techniques have been available for coarse root architecture measurements including volume location techniques (noninvasive or destructive) and manual or semi-automatic 3D digitising. Full 3D root system architecture dynamics was also reconstructed from partial measurements using modelling procedures. On the one hand, noninvasive and automatic techniques need more development to obtain full 3D architecture, i.e. geometry and topology. On the other hand, both one inexpensive manual and one semi-automatic digitizing procedure are now available to measure precisely and rapidly the full 3D architecture of uprooted and excavated coarse root systems. Specific software and a large number of functions are also available for an in-depth analysis of root architecture and have already been used in a dozen of research papers including a fairly large sample of mature trees. A comprehensive analysis of root architecture can be achieved by classifying individual roots in several root types through architectural analysis. The objective of this paper is both to give a detailed overview of the state of the art techniques for 3D root system architecture measurement and analysis and to give examples of applications in this field. Practical details are also given so that this paper can be used as a sort of manual for people who want to improve their practice or to enter this quite new research field.
Within a forest stand on a landslide-prone slope, soil fixation by roots can be minimal between uniform rows of trees, leading to local soil slippage. Therefore, staggered rows of trees would improve overall slope stability, as trees would arrest the downward movement of soil. The chain of tools consisting of both software (free for non-commercial use) and functions available from the first author will enable a more accurate description and use of root architectural parameters in standard slope stability analyses.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.