TITLE:
Novel Approach in Sampling and Tensile Strength Evaluation of Roots to Enhance Soil for Preventing Erosion
AUTHORS:
Shaurav Alam, Ashlesh Banjara, Jay Wang, William B. Patterson, Sujan Baral
KEYWORDS:
Root Sampling, Root Tensile Strength, Soil Shear Strength, Soil Erosion Prevention, Protocol Development, Restore Ecosystem
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Soil Science,
Vol.8 No.12,
December
25,
2018
ABSTRACT: This paper presents novel approaches to address the complex issues associated
with preservation, transportation, and tensile testing of the vegetation
root samples needed for the enhancement of soil and prevent erosion. Readily
availability of no equipment for in-situ assessment of the roots’ contribution
to soil strength forces the researchers to transport the root samples to the
lab for testing and estimating the contribution to the soil shear strength.
Moreover, the standard procedures and apparatuses available in the public
domain are regrettably suitable for testing of relatively stiffer materials.
Therefore, conducting the tensile test of roots using off-the-shelf equipment
often causes premature failure of the soft tissues and produces an erratic result,
which ultimately leads to unrealistic soil shear strength. The experimental
work replaced the traditional jaw type grips by innovative 3D-printed
mold or metal ring with silicone, epoxy, and hot-glue to ensure a minimal
degree of damage to the roots. Other scopes of the study include a comparison
between fresh and refrigerated samples, the effect of sample storage temperature,
pH, and Optimum Effective Root Area (OERA) per unit area of soil.
Initial study conducted on the Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) roots involved
comparison for different approaches based on the gripping technic to
select the best method. Finally, the paper included the results of tensile
strength test performed on Spartina alterniflora root samples following the
suggested guidelines thus helping better evaluation of root embedded soil
shear strength, enhancing the resistance against soil erosion, and conserving
the ecosystem.