Articles | Volume 30, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1675-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1675-2026
Research article
 | 
30 Mar 2026
Research article |  | 30 Mar 2026

Elucidating loessal landslide initiation in wood- and shrub-land by hydro-mechanical heterogeneity

Ruijie Yang, Chao Ma, Xi Yang, Yan Zhang, Liqun Lyu, and Xinying Wang

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Cited articles

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Cai, L., Wang, F., Lin, Y., Long, Q., Zhao, Y., Han, J., Ge, W., and Chen, H.: Changes in preferential flow caused by root effects in black locust plantations of different stand ages in the semi-arid region of the loess plateau, J. Hydrol., 634, 131086, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131086, 2024. 
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We carried out a series of field studies on woodland and shrubland slopes on China’s Loess Plateau. We found that woodland slopes allow water to move deeper into the ground, which helps them remain more stable, whereas shrubland slopes tend to hold more water near the surface and are more likely to fail. This means that landslides may play a bigger role in moving soil than previously thought, so soil loss on the Loess Plateau should be re-evaluated rather than linked only to surface runoff.

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