Evaluation of the Erosion Control Performance and Vegetation of Natural Vegetation Recovery Promotion-Type Mat Incorporated with Soil Algae (BSC Mat)

In this study, we evaluated the erosion control performance and vegetation of natural vegetation recovery promotion-type mat incorporated with soil algae (BSC mat). The tests were conducted by applying rainfall of 50, 100, and 150 mm/h to the slope for 30 min, respectively, and evaluating the ratio of soil loss in the unprotected soil to that in the soil covered by it (soil loss ratio: SLR). The results showed that the SLR was 192, indicating that it had a higher erosion prevention function compared to the unprotected soil. In addition, we observed the vegetation by natural invasion and measured soil loss on an outdoor embankment slope in the field test. The number of invasive plants in the mat was about 2.5 times higher than that in the unprotected slope, and the plants were established evenly in the whole area, unlike the unprotected slope where vegetation was found only in the eroded area. The amount of soil loss in the BSC mat plots was less than 1/4500. It was indicated that the mat formed vegetation faster and better than the unprotected soil, and that the amount of soil loss was also suppressed.