| Creator | Robert R. Ziemer |
|---|---|
| Date | 1981 |
| Source type | Conference proceeding / U.S. Forest Service research publication |
| Publication / holder | XVII IUFRO World Congress; U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station |
| Persistent ID | USFS Treesearch 8693 |
| Archive accessed | 21 September 2026 |
| Subjects | root reinforcement; slope stability; landslides; soil water; vegetation removal; biological geomorphology |
What this record is.
A period engineering and forestry treatment of the ways vegetation affects slope stability. It describes roots anchoring soil into fractured bedrock, crossing zones of weakness and interlocking weak soil masses, while also examining evapotranspiration, pore-water pressure and the progressive loss of root reinforcement following tree removal.
Why it was retained.
Retained as direct support for modelling Station landscapes in which long-established vegetation changes the mechanical behaviour of accumulated soil, sediment or damaged structure. Especially relevant is the finding that removing trees can reduce root reinforcement over time and alter soil-water conditions enough to increase slope-failure risk. This provides a real analogue for the Station concept that biological clearance can itself destabilise an established landscape without requiring roots to act as implausible primary structural beams.
The source concerns terrestrial forested slopes. Applying its mechanisms to Station-scale artificial terrain requires separate modelling; the Archive record preserves the analogue rather than asserting direct scalability.
Source locations
U.S. Forest Service research record →U.S. Forest Service PDF →Internal links
Referenced by: not yet assigned.
Related Archive records: 700.30:10:01 (CELSS plant selection).
Research notes / extracted claims: not yet accessioned.