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Background and aims <p>The tensile resistance of herbaceous plant roots is a critical determinant of the effectiveness of disaster prevention capacity in ecologically rehabilitated slopes. This study aimed to investigate the tensile properties and stabilizing effects of alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) in different growth years.</p> Methods <p>Roots of alfalfa planted in 2019, 2021, and 2023 at the mine dump were collected, and their morphological characteristics, root tensile properties, and microstructure were determined.</p> Results <p>(1) Root length density and root surface area density increased, root area ratio increased 16.4-fold, and root mass density increased 3.7-fold with planting year. With increasing age, root density (RD) in the shallow soil layer (0–10 cm) significantly decreased, whereas RD in the deep soil layer (20–30 cm) became predominant. (2) For individual roots of the same age, peak tensile force was positively correlated as a power function with root diameter. For individual roots of the same diameter, tensile strength and peak tensile force markedly increased with age. Root strain to failure (3–5 y) first increased and then decreased with increasing root diameter. (3) With increasing age, pore arrangement intricacy, xylem conduit pore area, and fiber bundle diameter all dramatically increased,showing a positive correlation with the maximum tensile force of individual roots.</p> Conclusions <p>The tensile resistance of alfalfa roots increases significantly with planting years, driven by coordinated morphological deepening and microstructural lignification. These time-varying root development processes enhance slope stability, providing critical guidance for the temporal scheduling of ecological restoration in mining areas.</p>

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Time-varying tensile resistance mechanisms in slope-protecting alfalfa roots

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月26日

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  • Xu Duan,
  • Zikang Yang,
  • Bo Wang,
  • Chuangchuang Chen,
  • Jin Qu,
  • Yuan Chang,
  • Luyu Shi,
  • Hanyang Yan,
  • Qi Dong,
  • Wanjun Ye

摘要

Background and aims

The tensile resistance of herbaceous plant roots is a critical determinant of the effectiveness of disaster prevention capacity in ecologically rehabilitated slopes. This study aimed to investigate the tensile properties and stabilizing effects of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in different growth years.

Methods

Roots of alfalfa planted in 2019, 2021, and 2023 at the mine dump were collected, and their morphological characteristics, root tensile properties, and microstructure were determined.

Results

(1) Root length density and root surface area density increased, root area ratio increased 16.4-fold, and root mass density increased 3.7-fold with planting year. With increasing age, root density (RD) in the shallow soil layer (0–10 cm) significantly decreased, whereas RD in the deep soil layer (20–30 cm) became predominant. (2) For individual roots of the same age, peak tensile force was positively correlated as a power function with root diameter. For individual roots of the same diameter, tensile strength and peak tensile force markedly increased with age. Root strain to failure (3–5 y) first increased and then decreased with increasing root diameter. (3) With increasing age, pore arrangement intricacy, xylem conduit pore area, and fiber bundle diameter all dramatically increased,showing a positive correlation with the maximum tensile force of individual roots.

Conclusions

The tensile resistance of alfalfa roots increases significantly with planting years, driven by coordinated morphological deepening and microstructural lignification. These time-varying root development processes enhance slope stability, providing critical guidance for the temporal scheduling of ecological restoration in mining areas.