A review of herbaceous vegetation effect on mechanical properties of soil for enhancing slope stability

Abstract

Slope instability is a critical issue that threatens infrastructure, human settlements, and the environment, with conventional stabilization methods often causing signiFficant environmental disruption and incurring high costs. This study aims to explore the potential of native Southeast Asian plants, especially lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), and alang-alang grass (Imperata cylindrica) to improve soil quality and prevent slope stability. The analysis focuses on their physical and mechanical properties to identify trends and advantages for slope reinforcement and sustainable ecological restoration in Southeast Asia. The Ffindings highlight that lemongrass and vetiver grass demonstrate promising improvements in slope stability parameters, including friction angle, cohesion, and shear strength, making them highly effective for erosion control. Lemongrass shows the most pronounced beneFfits, while vetiver grass also provides substantial stabilization. In contrast, elephant grass and alang-alang grass offer less improvement in these parameters. The study suggests that future research should explore the hydraulic behavior of these species to better understand their effects on water inFfiltration, runoff, and soil moisture dynamics, which are crucial for comprehensive slope stability analysis.