TY - JOUR T1 - How gauge length and loading rate influence the root tensile strength of <em>Betula platyphylla</em> JF - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation SP - 460 LP - 466 DO - 10.2489/jswc.71.6.460 VL - 71 IS - 6 AU - Y. Yang AU - L. Chen AU - N. Li Y1 - 2016/11/01 UR - http://www.jswconline.org/content/71/6/460.abstract N2 - The presence of vegetation is beneficial for slope stabilization. Root tensile strength is crucial for the enhancement of soil shear resistance by vegetation. In this study, using Betula platyphylla as the model species, we focused on the mechanisms by which loading rate, root gauge length, and diameter affected single-root tensile strength. This study involved factors influencing root tensile strength including root diameter, gauge length, and loading rate, as well as root moisture content. The results demonstrated that (1) loading rate had little influence on root tensile strength as a whole; (2) using the roots in gauge length of 50 mm (2 in) as examples, the effect of root diameter on tensile strength was significant at the loading rate of 10 mm min−1 (0.4 in min−1), but was minor at the rates of 100 and 200 mm min−1 (3.4 and 7.8 in min−1); (3) gauge length and root tensile strength showed a significant negative linear correlation but with high variability; (4) root diameter and tensile strength showed a negative power function correlation; (5) the increase of loading rate reduced the effect of diameter on tensile strength; and (6) the difference in root weight within one month was not significant, and we therefore ignored the effect of moisture content on root mechanical characteristics. This study can serve as a point of reference for the further studies on mechanics of root system. ER -