Biomechanical resistance of asymmetric root structures to static uprooting and flow erosion

Modern ecohydraulic engineering uses either planted plant cuttings or transplanted tree juveniles to reinforce slopes and river banks, to conceive river restoration and re-naturalisation measures, as well as to design and integrate green areas and their ecological functions in smart infrastructures of future smart cities and related urban areas. When plant cuttings or seedlings are used in bioengineering techniques, it is important to consider the biological adaptation of their above- and belowground biomass to the variability of the hydrologic regime in order for plants to later withstand erosion events of geomorphic relevance. The study of root development and their resilience to environmental inputs is therefore key for both theoretical and real-world applications. In this project, we quantify the effect of root asymmetry on the plant biomechanics in response to static pullout forces, and unravel the effect of asymmetric root architecture on sediment reinforcement by conducting experiments at the laboratory and the field scales. Theoretical advances on modelling plant uprooting by flow will also be pursued and validated on experimental results.