Role of vegetation in sustainability of infrastructure slopes

Abstract

Many aspects of the performance of infrastructure slopes are affected by vegetation, but many are conventionally overlooked by engineers. This paper explores in detail the engineering aspects associated with vegetation on infrastructure slopes and the conflicts that must be managed in order to maintain safety and serviceability. It also examines the importance of roadside corridors as grassland habitats and the difficulties of managing and maintaining the diversity of species using safe and economic management practices. The biodiversity of roadside grassland habitats is discussed in this paper, but it is expected that these findings will offer general lessons for the vegetation management of infrastructure slopes.