Unveiling the role of forests in landslide occurrence, recurrence and recovery

Abstract

Abstract Rain‐triggered landslides cause significant socioeconomic loss and long‐term ecological impact, disrupting topsoil and seed banks and creating unfavourable conditions for vegetation establishment. Although hazard management effectively reduces landslide risk, most management plans primarily focus on the societal impacts (loss of property and human lives), while environmental impacts related to landslide occurrence and recurrence are often overlooked. The role of different vegetation types in mitigation strategies remains uncertain due to the time and spatial constraints of traditional field study methods. Therefore, the role of vegetation in landslide restoration should be reconsidered. In this study, we investigated post‐landslide vegetation recovery patterns, analysed the duration of vegetation recovery, identified factors influencing these patterns, examined the role of forests in occurrence and recurrence probability and explored the implications of these findings for each element within an integrated management framework for landslide restoration. We utilised long‐term landslide inventory data (1924–2018) covering the entire city of Hong Kong (~1100 km2) and combined it with structural data derived from airborne LiDAR scanning in 2020 to capture landslide recovery. Our findings revealed significant differences in recovery trajectories between the main bodies and foot areas of scars, with the former taking approximately 46 years to recover and the latter recovering in about 38 years. Scar age, average wind speed, elevation and proximity to the forest were identified as key factors influencing structural recovery on scars, while the proximity to forest also regulated recovery rate of scars. We observed decreased landslide occurrence in forested areas, with recurrent landslides primarily appearing on older, unrecovered scars on barren hillsides. Synthesis and applications: Our research highlights the dynamic patterns, recovery time and drivers of vegetation recovery on landslide scars; and the higher probability of landslide occurrence in non‐forest areas and increased recurrence on bare, low vegetated scars. This information provides valuable insights for informing restoration efforts and managing landslide‐prone areas. Such knowledge is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies and enhancing the resilience of vulnerable ecosystems facing climate change and increased frequency of extreme weather events.