Managing woody vegetation on earth dikes: Risks assessment and maintenance solutions

Abstract

Dikes offer favorable conditions for tree growth and vegetation provides many ecological and social services on these artificial sites. But woody vegetation induces several risks which are not compatible with dike safety. In order to characterize the incidence of woody root systems on the structure and durability of embankment dikes, more than one hundred root systems of representative species were excavated and observed. Tree root structure depends on the tree species, stumps’ age, type of materials constituting the dike and on trees’ position on dikes. Recommendations have to take into account many contradictory social pressures and technical issues.