Plants alter their environment in a number of ways. With correct management, plant communities can positively impact soil degradation processes such as surface erosion and shallow landslides. However, there are major gaps in our understanding of physical and ecological processes on hillslopes, and the application of research to restoration and engineering projects. To identify the key issues of concern to researchers and practitioners involved in designing and implementing projects to mitigate hillslope instability, we organized a discussion during the Third International Conference on Soil Bio- and Eco-Engineering: The Use of Vegetation to Improve Slope Stability, Vancouver, Canada, July 2012. The facilitators asked delegates to answer three questions: (i) what do practitioners need from science? (ii) what are some of the key knowledge gaps? (iii) what ideas do you have for future collaborative research projects between practitioners and researchers? From this discussion, ten key issues were identified, considered as the kernel of future studies concerning the impact of vegetation on slope stability and erosion processes. Each issue is described and a discussion at the end of this paper addresses how we can augment the use of ecological engineering techniques for mitigating slope instability. We show that through fundamental and applied research in related fields (e.g., soil formation and biogeochemistry, hydrology and microbial ecology), reliable data can be obtained for use by practitioners seeking adapted solutions for a given site. Through fieldwork, accessible databases, modelling and collaborative projects, awareness and acceptance of the use of plant material in slope restoration projects should increase significantly, particularly in the civil and geotechnical communities.

/pdf/ecological-mitigation-of-hillslope-instability-ten-key-16r1mjga6q.pdf

Ecological mitigation of hillslope instability: ten key issues facing researchers and practitioners

In assessing the impact of climate change on infrastructure, it is essential to consider the interactions between the atmosphere, vegetation and the near-surface soil. This paper presents an overview of these processes, focusing on recent advances from the literature and those made by members of COST Action TU1202 – Impacts of climate change on engineered slopes for infrastructure. Climate- and vegetation-driven processes (suction generation, erosion, desiccation cracking, freeze–thaw effects) are expected to change in incidence and severity, which will affect the stability of new and existing infrastructure slopes. This paper identifies the climate- and vegetation-driven processes that are of greatest concern, the suite of known unknowns that require further research, and lists key aspect that should be considered for the design of engineered transport infrastructure slopes in the context of climate change.

/pdf/atmosphere-vegetation-soil-interactions-in-a-climate-change-pdezy86i8u.pdf

Atmosphere–vegetation–soil interactions in a climate change context; impact of changing conditions on engineered transport infrastructure slopes in Europe

Seasonal shrinkage and swelling of clay fill railway embankments can disturb the track geometry, resulting in train speed restrictions that disrupt normal operations. Such movements are exacerbated by vegetation, but reliable analytical descriptions of the effects of trees on embankment behaviour are not yet established. This paper presents and analyses the results of a field experiment, carried out on a heavily vegetated clay railway embankment to investigate quantitatively the influence of trees. After the first year of monitoring, the mature trees initially present on the upper two-thirds of the embankment slopes were removed. The field monitoring data are used to assess and understand the mechanisms of soil water content and pore water pressure changes before and after tree removal, and their influence on the vertical and lateral displacements of the embankment slopes. Removal of the vegetation stopped seasonal volume changes in the clay fill at the crest of the earthwork, but also resulted in the los...

/pdf/mechanical-and-hydrological-impacts-of-tree-removal-on-a-w4vi6el5hm.pdf

Mechanical and hydrological impacts of tree removal on a clay fill railway embankment

Limited studies have investigated the effect of vegetation growth and evapotranspiration (Etr) on desiccation parameter – crack intensity factor (CIF) considering a single species. Moreover, the ro...

Monitoring soil cracking and plant parameters for a mixed grass species

Identifying locations along railway networks with the highest tree fall hazard

This paper demonstrates the influence of extreme wet winter weather on pore water pressures within clay fill railway embankments, using field monitoring data and numerical modelling. Piezometer readings taken across the London Underground Ltd network following the wet winter of 2000/2001 were examined, and showed occurrences of hydrostatic pore water pressure within embankments but also many readings below this. A correlation was found between the maximum pore water pressures and the permeability of the embankment foundation soil, with high permeability foundation soils (of Chalk or river terrace deposits) providing underdrainage and maintaining low pore water pressures within the overlying clay embankment fill. Numerical modelling of transient water flow in response to a climate boundary condition supports this conclusion and has been used to demonstrate the influence of clay fill and underlying foundation permeability on transient pore water pressures during extreme (c. 1 in 100 year) and intermediate (c. 1 in 10 year) wet winter rainfall. For clay founded embankments, extreme wet winter conditions increased pore water pressures significantly compared with an intermediate winter, while for embankments underlain by a permeable stratum pore water pressures were less sensitive to the extreme winter rainfall.

/pdf/wet-winter-pore-pressures-in-railway-embankments-2s48x559db.pdf

Wet winter pore pressures in railway embankments

This paper uses a numerical model to investigate the influence of tree root water uptake and tree removal on pore water pressures and the vertical movement of a clay fill railway embankment. Simulated results of soil wetting and drying are compared with field measurements from an instrumented railway embankment before and after tree removal. A parametric study compares the influence of vegetation on the seasonal movement of the embankment slope. The simulations and field measurements show that while trees cause significant seasonal variations in pore water pressure and water content near the soil surface, they can maintain persistent soil suctions at depth within the tree rooting zone. Demonstration of this result using a numerical model requires a root water uptake function that separates spatially the processes of water infiltration, evaporation and transpiration. When all of the trees are removed, the persistent soil suctions established by the trees are lost as water infiltrates from the soil surface. Leaving the trees in place over the bottom third of the slope can maintain persistent suctions at the slope toe, while potentially also reducing seasonal ground movements at the crest that may adversely affect railway track geometry.

https://purehost.bath.ac.uk/ws/files/145753234/Hawkwell_Paper_Modelling_8June2016.pdf

The influence of tree root water uptake on the long term hydrology of a clay fill railway embankment

https://purehost.bath.ac.uk/ws/files/11345347/EcologicalEngPaper_AuthorSubmission_27Nov2012_1_.pdf

Managing the extent of tree removal from railway earthwork slopes

Many clay railway embankments in the UK are well over 100 years old, and now suffer from a range of stability and serviceability problems. A common means of remediating earthworks that have either ...

/pdf/behaviour-of-discrete-piles-used-to-stabilise-a-tree-covered-33gy6k45j4.pdf

Behaviour of discrete piles used to stabilise a tree-covered railway embankment

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Papers

Wet winter pore pressures in railway embankments

The influence of tree root water uptake on the long term hydrology of a clay fill railway embankment

Managing the extent of tree removal from railway earthwork slopes

Behaviour of discrete piles used to stabilise a tree-covered railway embankment