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Workshop Topics and Sessions

Session 1: Thermo-Hydraulic (TH) processes part of the Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere (SVA) interaction, acting either below or above ground level


• Sub-session 1a: Experimental characterisation of thermo-hydraulic, TH, properties of the rooted soils

Sub-session 1a will report experimental research on the thermo-hydraulic, TH, properties of rooted soils, focusing on the soil-root system, i.e. the sub-surface component of the environmental domain. This sub-session will include studies exploring the multi-physical processes that govern soil matrix–root interaction, with special focus on the measurement of the thermal and the hydraulic parameters of the constitutive laws controlling seepage, evaporation, transpiration, and, on the whole, the water balance. Biological processes will also be considered, including root development and plant biological activity, both of which influence the evolving properties and state of the rooted soil. To this aim, contributions will present datasets characterising the TH properties of rooted soils over time. The presented data may derive from laboratory experiments, physical modelling, or field investigations.


• Sub-session 1b: Site-scale hydrological processes within the RootS environmental domain – Runoff and Leaf Interception

Sub-session 1b will address the hydrological processes part of the SVA interaction, with particular emphasis on the investigation, monitoring and characterisation of runoff and leaf interception at the site scale. This session will bring together contributions from hydrologists and plant scientists, aimed at interpreting and modelling how the vegetation influences surface water dynamics. The session will cover both methodological outlines and case studies, giving evidence to the advances in the field monitoring techniques, the data interpretation and modelling.


• Sub-session 1c: Monitoring evaporation and transpiration fluxes within the RootS environmental domain

Sub-session 1c will focus on the monitoring of evaporation and transpiration water fluxes, both at the site scale and in physical models. The monitoring datasets will be presented and discussed in order to advance in the experimental knowledge about TH processes generating the water phase transition and the overall water balance taking place for different types of soils, vegetation and atmospheric conditions. The monitoring datasets represent the terms of comparison for the predictions resulting from the numerical modelling discussed in sub-session 1d.


• Sub-session 1d: Coupled numerical Thermo-Hydraulic, TH, modelling of SVA interaction

Sub-session 1d will be devoted to the numerical modelling of Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere (SVA) interaction, intended to reproduce both the water and energy balances occurring within the RootS environmental domain. Particular attention will be given to new numerical modelling schemes and approaches, designed to simulate the processes characterized in Subsections 1a, 1b, and 1c. The presentations may account for different levels of coupling of the thermal – hydraulic – mechanical – biological processes, investigated in the experimental sessions.

Session 2: Coupled bio-chemo-mechanical processes controlling the mechanical response of rooted soils


• Sub-session 2a: Experimental laboratory characterisation of the multiscale Bio-Hydro-Chemo-Mechanical behaviour of rooted soils

Sub-session 2a will be devoted to the experimental investigation of the Bio-Hydro-Chemo-Mechanical, BioHCM, behaviour of rooted soils at the laboratory scale. This includes the identification and quantification of key physical and mechanical properties such as unit weight, porosity, soil strength, stiffness, permeability, influenced by roots’ type, species and architecture, as well as the relevant chemical processes. The contributions are aimed at defining and validating constitutive models capable of accurately describing the coupled BioHCM response of the rooted soils. A multiscale perspective should be adopted, linking the interaction between soil particles/grains and root structures at the microstructure level, and the observed soil behaviour at the scale of the soil volume element, to ensure reliable interpretation and upscaling of laboratory findings to field-scale applications, eventually.


• Sub-session 2b: Field scale characterisation of the Bio-Hydro-Chemo-Mechanical behaviour of rooted soils

Sub-session 2b will deal with field-scale experimental investigations for the assessment of the mechanical properties of rooted soils under natural conditions. In particular, the focus will be on the in-situ measurement of rooted soil strength and stiffness, the field identifications of root-soil interaction mechanisms, accounting for the spatial variability introduced by root distribution, soil layering, and other environmental factors. The objective is to capture the mechanical response of rooted soils at the site scale, providing crucial data to validate and calibrate constitutive models and to support the design of nature-based solutions for slope stability, erosion control, and soil reinforcement.


• Sub-session 2c: Numerical modelling of the behaviour of rooted soils and boundary value problems under static and dynamic loading conditions

Sub-session 2c will be devoted to conceptual and numerical modelling of the mechanical behaviour and stability of rooted soil or slopes, potentially subjected to both static and dynamic (seismic) loading conditions. The contributions will be aimed at reporting advances in the understanding of how root systems influence slope deformation, failure mechanisms, and energy dissipation during seismic events, together with the corresponding numerical modelling. The modelling activities may include the development and calibration of advanced soil-root interaction models, with particular emphasis on accurately representing the root-soil interface behaviour upon monotonic and cyclic loading. The integration of the root reinforcement effects into predictive models for slope stability assessments, combining laboratory data (Sub-session 2a), field observations (Sub-session 2b), and computational simulations is encouraged to improve the reliability of both static and seismic design approaches.

Session 3: RootS25 Group Identity and Research Challenges


Session 3 is scheduled for the closing part of the second day, and it will focus on defining the research identity of the group and outlining the scientific challenges requiring for collaborative efforts of the involved researchers. The discussion will aim to synthesize knowledge across the sub-domains — rooted soil, vegetation, and atmosphere. Furthermore, also the promotion of an integrated understanding of the RootS domain as a dynamic environmental system and its behaviour over time is the objective of the discussion. This objective will be done by also outlining a conceptual framework designed to: i) identify the most urgent research gaps, guiding future scientific directions. ii) explore opportunities for new collaborations among the various research groups participating in RootS25, each contributing with cutting-edge expertise in specific fields. iii) allow for the identification of additional issues or gaps, receiving those raised by the audience (scientists, practitioners, stakeholders, etc.). iv) support the final selection of research priorities, which will define both the future agenda of the RootS group and the foundational pillars of the shared conceptual framework.