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Globally, there has been an increase in the frequency of landslides which is the result of slope failures. The combination of high intensity rainfall and high temperature resulted in the formation of acidic soil which is detrimental to the healthy growth of plants. Proper plant coverage on slopes is a prerequisite to mitigate and rehabilitate the soil. However, not all plant species are able to grow in marginal land. Thus, this study was undertaken to find a suitable slope plant species. We aimed to evaluate the effect of different soil pH on root profiles and growth of three different potential slope plant species namely,  Melastoma malabathricum ,  Hibiscus rosa-sinensis  and  Syzygium campanulatum .  M. malabathricum  showed the highest tolerance to acidic soil as it recorded the highest plant height and photosynthetic rate. The root systems of  M. malabathricum ,  H. rosa-sinensis  and  S. campanulatum  were identified as M, VH- and R-types, respectively. The study proposed  M. malabathricum  which possessed dense and shallow roots to be planted at the toe or top of the slope while  H. rosa-sinensis  and  S. campanulatum  to be planted in the middle of a slope.  S. campanulatum  consistently recorded high root length and root length density across all three types of soil pH while  M. malabathricum  showed progressive increase in length as the soil pH increased. The root average diameter and root volume of  M. malabathricum  outperformed the other two plant species irrespective of soil pH. In terms of biomass,  M. malabathricum  exhibited the highest root and shoot dry weights followed by  S. campanulatum . Thus, we propose  M. malabathricum  to be planted on slopes as a form of soil rehabilitation. The plant species displayed denser rooting, hence a stronger root anchorage that can hold the soil particles together which will be beneficial for slope stabilization.

Root architecture, rooting profiles and physiological responses of potential slope plants grown on acidic soil