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Study on the adaptability and stability of MICP improved vegetation slope protection
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  • Published: 13 March 2026

Study on the adaptability and stability of MICP improved vegetation slope protection

  • Chongpeng Bu1,3,
  • Yonghua Wang1,3,
  • Wei Huang2,
  • Lina Yang1,3,
  • Xiaohui Zhang1,3,
  • Mingjiao Wang1,3 &
  • …
  • Bingxiang Yuan4 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Ecology
  • Environmental sciences
  • Plant sciences

Abstract

In recent years, microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) and vegetation slope protection technology have been proven to be feasible. However, since the process of MICP-improved vegetation slope protection is affected by factors such as vegetation type, the research on the adaptability and stability of roots in the root-soil complex is still not in-depth. Therefore, this paper carried out plant adaptability and erosion resistance tests and triaxial tests on MICP-solidified root-soil complexes to explore the changing laws of vegetation germination adaptability, erosion resistance and soil mechanical properties under the action of MICP solidification. The results showed that: (1) Tall fescue germination potential declined from 72.3 to 40.7% with increasing reaction solution concentration, and more sharply from 66 to 26.5% as the number of spray applications increased. Paspalum notatum showed a similar trend, decreasing from 11.4 to 2.2% (concentration) and from 8.5 to 1.2% (spray applications). Overall, the number of spray applications exerted a greater inhibitory effect than concentration. (2) Microorganisms can enhance the ability to resist erosion. After 6 sprayings, the erosion rate is only 1.5%. Microorganisms combined with plants can significantly inhibit continuous rainfall; (3) The stress–strain curve of MICP-reinforced root-soil composite shows an upward trend and is a strain hardening type. Roots can promote the formation of calcium carbonate, cement the soil and fill the pores, so that the c and φ values of the MICP-reinforced root-soil complex are positively correlated with the calcium carbonate and root content, and the C value increases more significantly; (4) MICP technology has a great influence on the root The strength increase ratio of soil composite strength is very important, and its MICP strength increase ratio is as high as 80% under the optimal root content. MICP can effectively improve the adaptability of vegetation slope protection technology and improve the stability of slopes. Therefore, it can be considered that MICP has important significance for improving the stability of slopes by improving vegetation slope protection technology.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

Open access funding provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant No.52578390. Chongqing Municipal Education Commission Science and Technology Research Project, Grant No.KJZD-K202401506. Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering Safety, Grant No.SKLGGES-024032. Opening Fund of State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection(Chengdu University of Technology), Grant No.SKLGP2025K028.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. China JK Institute of Engineering Investigation and Design Co, Ltd., Xi’an, 710043, China

    Chongpeng Bu, Yonghua Wang, Lina Yang, Xiaohui Zhang & Mingjiao Wang

  2. School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing, 401331, China

    Wei Huang

  3. Shanxi Key Laboratory for the Property and Treatment of Special Soil and Rock, Xi’an, 710043, China

    Chongpeng Bu, Yonghua Wang, Lina Yang, Xiaohui Zhang & Mingjiao Wang

  4. School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong, China

    Bingxiang Yuan

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  1. Chongpeng Bu
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Contributions

Methodology, Resources, Writing—review & editing, Chongpeng Bu; Validation, Investigation, Resources, Writing—review & editing, Yonghua Wang; Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Funding acquisition, Wei Huang; Software, Data curation, Lina Yang and Xiaohui Zhang; Investigation, Supervision, Mingjiao Wang and Bingxiang Yuan.

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Correspondence to Wei Huang.

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Bu, C., Wang, Y., Huang, W. et al. Study on the adaptability and stability of MICP improved vegetation slope protection. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40222-1

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  • Received: 03 September 2025

  • Accepted: 11 February 2026

  • Published: 13 March 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40222-1

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Keywords

  • MICP
  • Root-soil complex
  • Adaptability
  • Anti-scouring performance
  • Mechanical properties
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