Developing Mitigation Measures against Rainfall-induced Shallow Landslides using Plant Root Systems
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are rapid slope failures within shallow soil layers, generally less than 2 m thick, that are triggered by intense or prolonged rainfall on steep soilmantled slopes.NASA's Global Landslide Catalog recorded 11,033 reported rainfall-triggered landslides during 2007-2019, and an overlay with the FAO land-cover map indicated that up to 80% occurred in vegetated land-cover types.These observations show that vegetation does not uniformly prevent landslides.Its stabilizing effect has conventionally been represented mainly as additional root cohesion, although rainfall-induced instability is controlled by interactions among precipitation, hydrological responses, root-system architecture, soil depth, and the potential failure zone.Roots can increase mechanical resistance while also modifying infiltration, preferential flow, runoff, soil-water redistribution, saturation, and pore-waterpressure development.Consequently, the same root system can reinforce shallow soil but promote hydrological weakening where water is transferred beneath the principal rooting zone.
Author: PRATAMA, Gumbert Maylda
Language: English
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221237136