Long rooted grass in natural pyroclastic soil
Long rooted grass in natural pyroclastic soil
Natural-inspired solutions for mitigating natural hazards are increasingly requested by society because they offer multiple co-benefits for human health, the economy and the environment. It is well established that vegetation increases soil strength, while root water uptake and canopy cover contribute to reducing pore water pressure. This study examines the mechanical interaction between roots and soil for two fine, long-rooted grass species grown in Vesuvian pyroclastic soil from southern Italy. Direct shear tests on unsaturated, undisturbed specimens collected at 5, 17, and 38 months after seeding were used to assess how vegetation development influences soil shear strength. The interpretation of the experimental results considers an additional phase associated with root occupancy in soil pore space, which affects soil porosity. A perpendicular root-reinforcement model is adopted, assuming that the root area ratio is equivalent to the root volume ratio. These assumptions supported the estimation of distinct shear strength envelopes for different root volume ratios.
Mariagiovanna Moscariello; Rita Ciaglia; V. Foresta; Sabatino Cuomo
3rd International Workshop on Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction (RootS2025)
2a. Experimental laboratory characterisation of the multiscale bio-hydro-chemo-mechanical behaviour of rooted soils
https://doi.org/10.53243/RootS2025-11
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