Cyclic loading changes the taproot's tensile properties and reinforces the soil via the shrub's taproot in semi-arid areas, China

Abstract This study aimed to reveal the soil reinforcement by shrub root systems after repeated stress from external forces, such as high winds and runoff, for extended periods in the wind-hydraulic compound erosion zone. Using the widely distributed Shandong mine area soil and water-conserving plant species, Caragana microphylla, Hippophae rhamnoides, and Artemisia ordosica, cyclic loading tests were conducted on taproots of the three plant species (1–5 mm diameter) via a TY8000 servo-type machine to investigate the taproots’ tensile properties response to repeated loading–unloading using simulated high wind pulling and runoff scouring. Our study revealed that the tensile force was positively correlated with the root diameter but the tensile strength was negatively correlated under monotonic and cyclic loading of the three plants’ taproots. However, after cyclic loading, the three plant species' taproots significantly enhanced the tensile force and strength more than monotonic loading (P