Effects of vegetation on the hydro-mechanical properties of the vadose zone

Floriana Anselmucci*, Hongyang Cheng, Xinyan Fan, Yijian Zeng, Vanessa Magnanimo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

The hydro-mechanical properties of the vadose zone are strongly influenced by seasonal cycles. The hydraulic behavior of this zone is determined by the coupling of biotic and abiotic factors. The biotic factors are controlled by the physiology and anatomy of the vegetation growing in the area, while the abiotic factors depend on the local soil characteristics, such as water content, void ratio, and matrix structure. In this laboratory-scale investigation, we assess the influence of active biomass, water content, and suction on the particle and pore structure rearrangement. We use x-ray computed tomography and 3D digital image correlation to quantify plant roots at different stages of growth, soil deformation, and water content fluctuations. Our results show that the bulk porosity of vegetated soil is strongly affected by the induced water cycles. The global micro-structure rearrangement due to the double effects of plant water uptake and induced drying-wetting cycles translates into a final bulk porosity increase.

Original languageEnglish
Article number16001
JournalE3S Web of Conferences
Volume544
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jul 2024
Event8th International Symposium on Deformation Characteristics of Geomaterials, IS-Porto 2023 - Porto, Portugal
Duration: 3 Sept 20236 Sept 2023
Conference number: 8

Keywords

  • 3D microstructure evolution
  • image processing
  • vadose zone
  • vegetated soil

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