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Vegetation as a driver of temporal variations in slope stability: The impact of hydrological processes
Author(s) -
Kim John H.,
Fourcaud Thierry,
Jourdan Christophe,
Maeght JeanLuc,
Mao Zhun,
Metayer James,
Meylan Louise,
Pierret Alain,
Rapidel Bruno,
Roupsard Olivier,
Rouw Anneke,
Sanchez Mario Villatoro,
Wang Yan,
Stokes Alexia
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2017gl073174
Subject(s) - landslide , vegetation (pathology) , vegetation and slope stability , environmental science , drawdown (hydrology) , temperate climate , subtropics , slope stability , water content , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , physical geography , soil science , ecology , soil water , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , geography , groundwater , medicine , pathology , biology , aquifer
Although vegetation is increasingly used to mitigate landslide risks, how vegetation affects the temporal variability of slope stability is poorly understood, especially in earthquake‐prone regions. We combined 3‐year long soil moisture monitoring, measurements of soil physical properties and plant functional traits, and numerical modeling to compare slope stability under paired land uses with and without trees in tropical, subtropical, and temperate landslide‐ and earthquake‐prone regions. Trees improved stability for 5–12 months per year from drawdown of soil moisture and resulted in less interannual variability in the duration of high‐stability periods compared to slopes without trees. Our meta‐analysis of published data also showed that slopes with woody vegetation were more stable and less sensitive to climate and soil factors than slopes with herbaceous vegetation. However, estimates of earthquake magnitude necessary to destabilize slopes at our sites suggest that large additional stabilization from trees is necessary for meaningful protection against external triggers.