Root Biomechanical Traits in a Montane Mediterranean Forest Watershed: Variations with Species Diversity and Soil Depth
by
Federico Valerio Moresi 1
, Mauro Maesano 2,3, Giorgio Matteucci 2,4, Manuela Romagnoli 3, Roy C. Sidle 5 and Giuseppe Scarascia Mugnozza 2,3,*
Federico Valerio Moresi 1, Mauro Maesano 2,3, Giorgio Matteucci 2,4, Manuela Romagnoli 3, Roy C. Sidle 5 and Giuseppe Scarascia Mugnozza 2,3,*
1
CURSA—University Consortium for Environmental Research, 00161 Rome, Italy
2
Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean, National Research Council of Italy, 80056 Napoli, Italy
3
Department of Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
4
Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean, National Research Council of Italy, 87036 Rende (CS), Italy
5
Mountain Societies Research Institute, University of Central Asia, Khorog 736000, Tajikistan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Forests 2019, 10(4), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10040341
Received: 13 February 2019 / Revised: 9 April 2019 / Accepted: 16 April 2019 / Published: 17 April 2019
(This article belongs to the Section Forest Ecology and Management)
Plant roots play a key role in stabilizing slopes, particularly in the Mediterranean region, characterized by rough and unstable terrain. However, forest species differ in their stabilizing capacities. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap of knowledge on root biomechanical properties of relevant Mediterranean trees and shrubs in relation to slope stability. Root specimens of typical montane Mediterranean tree and shrub species were sampled in Southern Italy. Root characteristics, such as tensile strength (Tr) and root area ratio (RAR), were assessed from live roots sampled in trenches, while root cohesion was calculated. Power law functions yielded the best fit for the relationship of Tr versus root diameter; however, no significant relationship was found between root strength and root moisture content. RAR varied amongst different tree and shrub species. Roots of Quercus cerris L. were the most resistant to breaking under tension, while roots of Ilex aquifolium L. had the highest tensile strength among all shrub species. Results provide quantitative information on the role of root systems of montane Mediterranean forest species in stabilizing soils and will improve modeling of landslide susceptibility to the prevention and mitigation of natural hazards in mountain environments.
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Keywords:
root tensile strength; root area ratio; root cohesion; slope stability; forest management; landslides; Mediterranean species; natural hazards; protection forests; soil bioengineering
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
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MDPI and ACS Style
Moresi, F.V.; Maesano, M.; Matteucci, G.; Romagnoli, M.; Sidle, R.C.; Scarascia Mugnozza, G. Root Biomechanical Traits in a Montane Mediterranean Forest Watershed: Variations with Species Diversity and Soil Depth. Forests 2019, 10, 341.
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