Soil Bio Engineering: A Potential Method in Restoration Ecology

Abstract

Abstract
Due to human activities impact on ecological systems is on steady increase in the last few decades, we had already had the impact of harnessing the potential of our ecological sources. In spite of several legal and sociological restrictions placed in position we are still losing valuable ecological resources, once such resource is loss in plant ecosystem. Harnessing the potential of various plants is studied by researchers but utilising them in proper method is still vague. Soil bio engineering is a concept of utilising plant wealth for stabilising and increasing the strength of the soil, this concept is well utilised in countries such as Nepal, Alps region etc., but not in practice all over India in spite of the reason that we are holding numerous plants that are having potential to grow in various climatic conditions in India and are stable in different soil conditions. In this study a review is done about various plants that are available in Nilgiris district that can be utilised for natural soil reinforcement techniques. Nilgiris district is suffering from severe landslides and it is aftermath over the last century due to urbanization and anthropogenic effect. Protecting a land mass using conventional technologies require lot of investment and man power butin the case of soil bioengineering which uses the natural vegetation cover to protect the soil the investment is less and can be applied to variety of areas including arid climatic conditions. Various potential plants that are growing and available in Nilgiris district is analysed for their potential to stabilise the soil.
Keywords: Soil stabilisation, soil bioengineering, Nilgiris district, landslides