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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2020, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (12): 27-37.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020034

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Factors affecting the shear strength of root-soil complexes from three types of grass hedgerows in a karst area

Jiao-jiao QIANG(), Zhe-hao YAN, Yun CHEN(), Bing-hui HE, Han TANG, Xiao-hong LIU   

  1. Key Laboratory of Karst Environment,College of Resources and Environment,Southwest University,Chongqing 400715,China
  • Received:2020-01-20 Revised:2020-04-20 Online:2020-12-28 Published:2020-12-28
  • Contact: Yun CHEN

Abstract:

This research explored the differences in the shear strength of grass hedgerow root-soil complexes from a karst area, and the factors affecting this parameter. Three grass hedgerows, i.e., Orychophragmus violaceusViciavillosa rothvar, and Ophiopogon bodinieri, were established on the upper, middle, and lower slopes of a karst bedding slope in Youyang, Chongqing. The shear strength of the complexes, the basic physical and chemical properties of the soil in the root zone, and the morphological and chemical indexes of the root system in the complexes were measured, and the cohesion and internal friction angle of the complexes were calculated. The main results were as follows: 1) Among the upper/middle slope composites, the O. bodinieri complex showed significantly higher shear strength than the O. violaceus and V. rothvar complexes (P<0.05), but shear strength did not differ significantly among the three hedgerow complexes from the lower slope. Only the shear strength of the O. bodinieri complex differed significantly among different slope positions (middle slope>upper slope>lower slope) (P<0.05); 2) The shear strength index was significantly higher for the O. bodinieri and V. rothvar complexes than for the O. violaceus complex. There were differences in the internal friction angle among complexes from the middle slope and in the cohesion of complexes at each position on the slope (P<0.05). The cohesion and internal friction angle of the O. bodinieri complex and the cohesion of the V. rothvar complex were significantly higher at the middle slope than at the upper and lower slopes (P<0.05). These parameters of O. violaceus complexes did not differ significantly among the three slopes; 3) Soil organic matter content was positively correlated with the cohesion of V. rothvar and O. bodinieri complexes (correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.83, respectively), but not with the cohesion of O. violaceus complexes. There were significant or extremely significant positive correlations between the cohesion of the three hedgerow complexes and the root morphology index, and the highest correlation coefficient was 0.99. In conclusion, O. bodinieri complexes had the highest shear strength, and the optimal slope location was the middle slope. The shear strength of O. violaceusV. rothvar, and O. bodinieri hedgerow complexes was mainly affected by cohesion.

Key words: Ophiopogon bodinieri, root system, cohesive force, root surface area, organic matter