Use of Vegetation as Biomaterial for Controlling Measures of Human Impact on the Environment

Table 1

Functions of vegetation in environmental engineering measures.

Function	Typology	Description
Hydrological-hydraulic	Interception	The vegetation intercepts raindrops and reduces their size and strength, thus protecting the soil from erosion caused by rain splash
	Restraint	The dense network of roots restrains bed material
	Absorption	Roots absorb water surface and underground water, thus reducing the saturation level of soil and the risk of slope failure
	Infiltration	Plants help to maintain soil porosity and permeability, increasing retention and delaying the runoff
	Evapotranspiration	Vegetation transpires water absorbed through the roots and allows it to evaporate into the air
	Surface runoff reduction	Stems and roots can reduce the velocity of surface runoff by increasing surface roughness
	Reducing flowing by stems	A portion of rainwater is intercepted by vegetation so that rainwater is stored in the stems
Environmental	Absorption	It allows the absorption of CO2 depending on the soil fertility, type of soil, exposure, temperature trend, and the plant species
Mechanical	Catching	The loose soil materials, which roll down a slope because of gravity and erosion, are caught by planting the stems and roots
	Armouring	Vegetation can trap high-size sediments
	Reinforcing	The shear strength of the soil can be increased by planting vegetation depending on the nature of its roots
	Supporting and anchoring	Large and mature plants can stabilize layers with a tendency to slip over each other
	Draining	Surface water drains away more easily in areas with dense rooted vegetation