Ecological and plant-growing material for rock slope based on air humidity response

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of ecological restoration materials technology, specifically an ecological vegetation material for rock slopes based on air humidity response. It includes an ecological matrix and air humidity response units. The air humidity response units are dispersed within the ecological matrix, and together with the ecological matrix within their thickness range, they form an air humidity response functional zone. The bottom of the air humidity response functional zone and the ecological matrix below it form a slow-release regulation functional zone. The air humidity response functional zone and the slow-release regulation functional zone rely on the continuous micropore-mesopore-macropore pore network within the ecological matrix to jointly constitute a multi-level pore storage structure. By incorporating air humidity response units, this invention enables the material to adsorb water vapor under natural environmental relative humidity conditions, temporarily storing the adsorbed water in an adsorbed or discontinuous liquid state within the multi-level pore storage units. Subsequently, when the ambient temperature rises or the humidity decreases, the water is slowly released through diffusion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ecological restoration materials technology, specifically relating to an ecological vegetation material for rock slopes based on air humidity response. Background Technology

[0002] Ecological restoration of rock slopes is an important component of highway, railway, water conservancy, hydropower, and mining engineering construction. Due to limitations imposed by engineering safety, slope conditions, and the exposed rock mass, rock slopes typically have extremely thin soil layers, or even no soil at all, making their ecological restoration significantly more challenging than that of ordinary soil slopes. Existing ecological restoration technologies for rock slopes mainly employ methods such as hydroseeding, ecological bags, and three-dimensional vegetation nets, laying a certain thickness of topsoil or ecological substrate on the rock surface to provide the necessary moisture for plant growth. In the initial stages of the project, these technologies rely primarily on the initial moisture content and water-holding capacity of the substrate material to maintain vegetation growth. However, under engineering conditions where the rock slope can bear a soil layer thickness of less than 5-10 cm, rainfall intervals are long, evaporation is intense, and long-term artificial irrigation is difficult, the moisture in the substrate easily dissipates within a short period. The plant rhizosphere remains in a state of continuous water shortage for a long time, and the vegetation gradually declines or even dies during the slow drought process, resulting in low vegetation survival rates and high rework rates, severely restricting the long-term stability of the ecological restoration effect of rock slopes.

[0003] To overcome the above problems, existing ecological vegetation materials for rock slopes generally incorporate water-retaining agents or superabsorbent materials to improve the water retention performance of the matrix. However, the technical essence of these materials lies in "locking in existing moisture," and their water absorption behavior is highly dependent on liquid water input conditions such as rainfall or irrigation. They are difficult to function effectively in the absence of rainfall or irrigation. At night or in high-humidity environments, even without rainfall, there is still a certain amount of water vapor in the air. However, existing ecological vegetation materials do not consider air humidity as a functional input source. Their material evaluation and composition system remains at the level of liquid water indicators centered on "water holding capacity," which leads to the complete waste of objectively existing water vapor resources in the environment.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an ecological vegetation material that does not rely on rainfall and artificial irrigation, can directly respond to air humidity under conditions without liquid water input, and can achieve water adsorption and slow release, so as to improve the rhizosphere microenvironment of plants on rock slopes, prolong the survival time of vegetation under no-rainfall conditions, and improve the applicability and reliability of ecological restoration projects on rock slopes. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vegetation material that can respond to air humidity and achieve water adsorption and slow release under conditions of no rainfall and no irrigation. This addresses the problems in existing rock slope ecological restoration where the topsoil layer is thin, has poor water retention capacity, cannot be artificially irrigated for extended periods, and nighttime air humidity is not utilized, resulting in the complete waste of environmental water vapor resources. Under slow drought conditions, vegetation dies due to continuous root dehydration, leading to low survival rates and high rework rates. This invention introduces "passive air humidity adsorption capacity" into the evaluation and composition system of ecological vegetation materials for the first time. This allows the material to still acquire water even without liquid water input. Water exists within the material in an adsorbed or discontinuous liquid state, without forming free water flow. This is a fundamentally different definition of material function from traditional "water-retaining materials."

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this invention provides an ecological vegetation material for rock slopes based on air humidity response, comprising an ecological matrix and air humidity response units. The ecological matrix is ​​laid on the surface of the rock slope or in the vegetation base structure. The air humidity response units are dispersed in the upper to middle region of the ecological matrix in the form of microscale hygroscopic functional bodies. The air humidity response units and the ecological matrix within their thickness range together form an air humidity response functional zone for passively absorbing moisture under natural air humidity conditions. The hygroscopic functional body is one or more of microencapsulated hygroscopic materials, porous hygroscopic bodies, or polymeric hygroscopic composites. The hygroscopic functional body can absorb moisture in an environment with a relative humidity ≥20%. The ecological matrix at the bottom of the air humidity response functional zone and the ecological matrix located below the air humidity response functional zone form a slow-release regulation functional zone with gradient pore distribution. The air humidity response functional zone and the slow-release regulation functional zone rely on the continuous pore network inside the ecological matrix to jointly form a multi-level pore storage structure. The functional zones are spatially embedded and partially overlap, without forming a clear layered interface.

[0007] Furthermore, the microencapsulated moisture-absorbing material is a moisture-absorbing salt, and the types of moisture-absorbing salt include, but are not limited to, lithium chloride, calcium chloride, and lithium bromide; the moisture-absorbing salt is coated with a polymer layer to form microcapsules, and the particle size of the microcapsules ranges from 10 to 500 μm; the thickness of the coating layer is 0.5 to 10 μm, and it is composed of a polymer, an inorganic composite layer, or a combination of both.

[0008] Furthermore, the porous absorbent is made of inorganic or composite porous materials, including functionalized porous silicon-based materials, mesoporous alumina, and porous carbon materials or their modified forms; the specific surface area of ​​the porous absorbent is 100~1500 m². 2 / g, with a pore size of 2~100nm, to facilitate water vapor adsorption rather than liquid water entry.

[0009] Furthermore, the polymeric hygroscopic composite is a polymeric material or a composite system thereof with hydrophilic functional groups on its surface, used to generate hydrogen bond adsorption of water vapor in the air.

[0010] Furthermore, the air humidity response unit is uniformly or semi-uniformly dispersed within a thickness range of 0.5 to 3.0 cm below the top surface of the ecological substrate; the mass fraction of the air humidity response unit accounts for 5 to 30% of the mass fraction of the vegetation material, or the volume fraction of the air humidity response unit accounts for 5 to 30% of the volume fraction of the vegetation material.

[0011] Furthermore, the pore structure in the multi-level porous storage structure consists of micropores, mesopores, and macropores from top to bottom.

[0012] Furthermore, the pore size of the ecological matrix in the air humidity response functional area is 5~100nm.

[0013] Furthermore, the slow-release regulation functional zone is continuously distributed in the middle to lower region of the ecological substrate based on the pore structure inside the multi-level porous storage structure. It and the air humidity response unit are located in different functional regions of the multi-level porous storage structure. The air humidity response unit is mainly distributed in the upper to middle region of the ecological substrate, and the slow-release regulation functional zone is mainly distributed in the middle to lower region of the ecological substrate. The two form a continuous transition and local functional overlap in the middle region through the multi-level porous structure to realize the continuous transfer of water from adsorption to storage to slow release. The lower part of the ecological substrate is the plant rhizosphere microenvironment region, which is connected to the water release region of the slow-release regulation functional zone.

[0014] Compared to existing technologies, this invention has the following advantages: By incorporating an air humidity response unit, this invention enables the material to adsorb water vapor under natural environmental relative humidity conditions. The adsorbed moisture is temporarily stored in a multi-level porous storage structure in an adsorbed or discontinuous liquid state, and then slowly released via diffusion when the ambient temperature rises or the humidity decreases. Specifically:

[0015] 1. Different sources of moisture: Existing water-retaining materials rely on the input of liquid water; this invention uses water vapor in the air humidity as the direct source of moisture.

[0016] 2. Different functional triggering conditions: Existing water-retaining materials cannot function under conditions of no rainfall; this invention can still operate continuously under conditions of no rainfall and no irrigation.

[0017] 3. Different forms of water existence: In existing water-retaining materials, water mostly exists in a continuous liquid or gel state; in this invention, water exists in an adsorbed state or a discontinuous liquid state and does not form a free flow.

[0018] 4. Different functional positioning: Existing water-retaining materials belong to "water-storage materials"; the present invention belongs to "air humidity-responsive materials", and its functional evaluation index has been expanded from the traditional water holding rate to the passive adsorption capacity of air humidity.

[0019] In addition to the objectives, features, and advantages described above, the present invention has other objectives, features, and advantages. The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate embodiments of the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the embodiments of the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an ecological vegetation material for rock slopes based on air humidity response according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-level porous storage functional area in this invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sustained-release regulation functional region in this invention;

[0024] In the figure: 1-Air humidity response functional zone; 1.1-Moisture-absorbing microcapsule structure; 1.2-Porous moisture absorber; 2-Slow-release regulation functional zone; 3-Multi-level porous storage structure; 4-Rhizosphere microenvironment region; 5-Fixing structure; 6-Plant root system. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. Equivalent transformations or substitutions in function, method, or structure made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 3This invention provides an ecological vegetation material for rock slopes based on air humidity response, comprising an ecological matrix and air humidity response units. The ecological matrix is ​​laid on the surface of the rock slope (rock base) or in the vegetation foundation structure. The air humidity response units exist in the form of microscale hygroscopic functional bodies, embedded in the upper to middle region of the ecological matrix in a uniform or semi-uniform dispersion manner. The hygroscopic functional bodies can passively adsorb water vapor in the air under natural relative humidity conditions, adsorbing air humidity rather than liquid water; they can exhibit water adsorption behavior in environments with relative humidity ≥20%. The hygroscopic functional bodies can be composed of the following materials or combinations thereof: ① hygroscopic microcapsule structure 1.1, such as microencapsulated hygroscopic salts, i.e., high-humidity adsorption salts such as lithium chloride and calcium chloride encapsulated in microcapsules; ② porous hygroscopic bodies 1.2, such as functionalized porous silicon-based materials, activated carbon, mesoporous alumina, etc.; ③ polymeric hygroscopic composites with high specific surface area and hydrophilic functional groups. Among them:

[0027] (1) Microencapsulated hygroscopic salts: Hygroscopic salts are inorganic hygroscopic salts with a strong affinity for water vapor. They are encapsulated by a polymer coating layer to form a microcapsule structure, thereby inhibiting the dissolution and migration of the hygroscopic salt. The types of hygroscopic salts include, but are not limited to: lithium chloride, calcium chloride, lithium bromide, etc.; the particle size of the microcapsules ranges from 10 to 500 μm; the thickness of the coating layer is 0.5 to 10 μm, and it can be composed of polymer, inorganic composite layer or a combination of both; the microcapsules can adsorb water vapor under environmental conditions with a relative humidity of ≥20%.

[0028] (2) Porous hygroscopic bodies: Porous hygroscopic bodies are inorganic or composite porous materials with high specific surface area and hydrophilic surface properties, used to enhance the physical adsorption capacity of water vapor. Porous hygroscopic bodies may include functionalized porous silicon-based materials, mesoporous alumina, and porous carbon materials or their modified forms; the specific surface area can be 100~1500m² / g; the pore size is mainly distributed in the range of 2~100nm to facilitate the adsorption of water vapor rather than the entry of liquid water.

[0029] (3) Polymer hygroscopic complex: Polymer hygroscopic complex is a polymer material or its composite system containing hydrophilic functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino groups on its surface, which is used to generate hydrogen bond adsorption of water vapor in the air.

[0030] In one specific implementation, multiple moisture-absorbing functional units and the ecological substrate within their respective thickness range together form an air humidity-responsive functional zone 1. The distance from the top surface of the air humidity-responsive functional zone 1 to the top surface of the ecological substrate is 0.5~1cm. The top surface of the air humidity-responsive functional zone 1 is connected to the outside air through the porous network inside the ecological substrate, allowing water vapor in the air to fully contact the moisture-absorbing functional units under natural diffusion conditions, thereby achieving passive adsorption of water vapor in the air. The mass or volume fraction of the air humidity-responsive unit can be set according to engineering needs: the mass fraction of the air humidity-responsive unit accounts for 5~30% of the mass fraction of the vegetation material, or the volume fraction of the air humidity-responsive unit accounts for 5~30% of the volume fraction of the vegetation material. Preferably, the air humidity response unit is mainly distributed within a range of 0.5~3.0cm below the top surface of the ecological substrate, so that it can maintain effective communication with the outside air through the pore network of the ecological substrate, while avoiding the direct exposure of adsorbed water to the outside environment and rapid evaporation; wherein, the distance from the top of the air humidity response functional area 1 to the top of the substrate can be adjusted according to the climate humidity conditions, substrate thickness and ventilation conditions of the area where the slope is located, but the air humidity response functional area 1 is still kept in an area that can effectively exchange water vapor with the outside air without forming a surface exposure. It should be noted that the multiple hygroscopic functional bodies do not form a continuous dense layer, do not block the air permeability of the ecological substrate, and do not affect the normal respiration of the plant roots 6. Their adsorption targets are always limited to water vapor in the air (the multiple micro-scale hygroscopic functional bodies are embedded in the ecological substrate in a discrete and discontinuous manner, not forming a continuous dense layer, and do not block the gas diffusion channels between the internal pore network of the substrate and the outside air, thus not affecting the normal respiration of the plant roots 6. The adsorption targets of the hygroscopic functional bodies are always limited to water vapor in the air in gaseous form, not the liquid water already present in the substrate. The adsorbed water exists in an adsorbed state or a discontinuous liquid state within the material, and does not form a free continuous water flow), rather than the liquid water already present in the substrate.

[0031] In one specific implementation, in the lower part and adjacent area of ​​the air humidity response functional zone 1 (the distribution area of ​​air humidity response units), the pore structure of the ecological matrix gradually transitions from a predominantly micropore / mesopore structure to a gradient structure containing macropores, thereby forming a slow-release regulation functional zone 2 (slow-release regulation region) within this area. This functional zone and the air humidity response functional zone 1 are spatially continuous and partially overlap, rather than being separated by a clear interface. Under conditions of increased temperature or decreased humidity, the slow-release regulation functional zone 2 controls the slow release of moisture through diffusion by means of pore structure and material diffusion characteristics.

[0032] In one specific implementation, the air humidity response functional zone 1 and the slow-release regulation functional zone 2, relying on the continuous micropore-mesopore-macropore pore network within the ecological matrix, jointly constitute a multi-level pore storage structure 3. This multi-level pore storage structure permeates the entire plant material and exhibits different dominant pore sizes in different regions. The multi-level pore storage structure is artificially regulated and comprises a micropore-mesopore-macropore composite pore system. Specifically: the micropore structure is mainly used for the retention of adsorbed water vapor; the mesopore structure is used for the transition and temporary storage of adsorbed water into discontinuous liquid water; and the macropore structure serves as a water diffusion channel and root growth space. The multi-level pore storage structure 3 and the air humidity response functional zone 1 overlap spatially: the water vapor captured by the air humidity response functional zone can enter the adjacent pore system without significant liquid flow; water is temporarily stored in the multi-level pore storage structure 3 in adsorbed or discontinuous liquid form, preventing rapid evaporation of free water. It is important to note that the multi-level porous storage structure 3 itself does not actively absorb water. Its function relies on the premise that air moisture has been adsorbed by the air humidity response unit, and it delays water loss through the following mechanisms: diffusion resistance formed by the pore size gradient; water retention effect of the pore surface interface energy; and the ability of the multi-scale pore network to extend the water migration path. Under conditions without external water input, a relatively stable humid microenvironment can be formed inside the ecological vegetation material of this invention, significantly reducing the water evaporation rate and increasing the material's equivalent water retention time.

[0033] In one specific implementation, the slow-release regulation functional zone 2 is continuously distributed in the middle to lower part of the ecological substrate based on the pore structure inside the multi-level pore storage structure 3. It and the air humidity response unit are located in different functional areas of the multi-level pore storage structure 3, respectively. The air humidity response unit is mainly distributed in the upper to middle part of the ecological substrate, and the slow-release regulation functional zone 2 is mainly distributed in the middle to lower part of the ecological substrate. The two form a continuous transition and local functional overlap in the middle part of the ecological substrate through the multi-level pore structure, so as to realize the continuous transfer of water from adsorption to storage to slow release. The plant rhizosphere microenvironment 4 is located in the lower part of the ecological substrate and is connected to the water release area of ​​the slow-release regulation functional zone 2.

[0034] In one specific embodiment, the pore design in the air humidity response functional zone 1, the slow-release regulation functional zone 2, and the multi-level pore storage structure 3 has the following characteristics: (1) The pores in the air humidity response functional zone 1 are mainly micropores or mesopores, with a pore size of generally 5~100nm, which ensures that air moisture diffuses to the hygroscopic body without forming a continuous liquid water channel. (2) The multi-level pore storage structure 3 is formed by the ecological matrix material body, including a composite pore system of micropores (pore size 2~10nm), mesopores (pore size 10~50nm), and macropores (pore size >50nm), which is used to temporarily store the adsorbed water and delay evaporation loss. (3) The pores in the slow-release regulation functional zone 2 are distributed in a gradient, combining micropores (2~10nm), mesopores (10~50nm), and small macropores (50~100nm), which achieve slow water release triggered by changes in temperature and humidity environment by extending the diffusion path and gradually weakening the adsorption energy on the pore surface. The design and distribution of pores in each functional area (structure) can effectively ensure the formation of a stable and moist microenvironment inside the vegetation material, while maintaining the overall air permeability of the vegetation material and not blocking the normal respiration of the vegetation roots.

[0035] In one specific implementation, the ecological matrix material is a commonly used vegetation matrix in the ecological restoration of rock slopes. Its main function is to provide necessary physical support, aeration conditions, and a basic nutrient environment for vegetation, while also serving as a carrier and synergistic working medium for air humidity response units, multi-level porous storage structures, and slow-release regulation functional zones. Specifically, this ecological matrix material can be an ecological matrix formed by combining mineral framework materials and organic materials. For example, a composite ecological matrix can be formed by using weathered rock powder, crushed stone powder, sandy materials, or industrial by-product mineral materials as the framework, combined with organic materials such as humus, compost, organic fibers, or plant straw. The water vapor adsorbed by the air humidity response unit enters and is temporarily stored in the above-mentioned multi-level porous structure under adsorbed or discontinuous liquid conditions. The multi-level porous system is connected through interfacial energy and pore size gradient (see...). Figure 2 This multi-level porous storage structure slows down the diffusion rate of moisture to the external environment, thereby creating a relatively stable humid microenvironment within the material. It does not actively absorb water; its function relies on the adsorption of airborne moisture, thus avoiding confusion with the mechanism of traditional water-retaining materials that depend on liquid water input.

[0036] In one specific implementation, the multi-level porous storage structure is spatially embedded or partially overlapped with the air humidity response functional zone and the slow-release regulation functional zone. This overlapping design allows the slow-release regulation functional zone to effectively contact and store water, and to slowly release water into the rhizosphere microenvironment region 4 when temperature and humidity conditions change, without affecting the passive adsorption of water vapor by the air humidity response unit. The function of this slow-release regulation functional zone is mainly achieved through the extended diffusion path of the pore structure, the distribution of adsorption energy on the pore surface, and the overall diffusion resistance characteristics of the material. When the ambient temperature rises or the air humidity decreases, the adsorption energy of water inside the plant material gradually weakens, and the water temporarily stored in the multi-level pores is slowly released outwards via diffusion into the plant rhizosphere microenvironment. Since the air humidity adsorption process mainly occurs at night or during periods of high humidity, while the water slow-release process mainly occurs during the day or under low humidity conditions, the two exhibit a natural staggered peak relationship on a time scale, thus avoiding functional interference and enabling the air humidity response, storage, and slow release to form a continuous but non-coupling and conflict-free synergistic working mechanism.

[0037] 1. Structural characteristics and spatial relationships: The controlled-release regulation functional zone does not exist as an independent entity, but is formed by the synergistic formation of the following structural factors: the extended diffusion path of the multi-level porous system; and the difference in adsorption energy distribution on the pore surface.

[0038] The material's overall diffusion resistance characteristics. Spatially, it is embedded or partially overlapped with the air humidity response functional zone and the multi-level porous storage structure, together forming a unified functional complex.

[0039] 2. Triggering Conditions and Response Mechanism: When environmental conditions change:

[0040] As daytime temperatures rise and relative humidity decreases, the adsorption energy of moisture inside the hygroscopic body gradually weakens. Moisture temporarily stored in the multi-level pores slowly migrates outward under the drive of concentration gradient and diffusion.

[0041] 3. Technical effects: This water release process has the following characteristics: it does not rely on mechanical structures or valve control devices; the water release rate is naturally regulated by ambient temperature and humidity; and the direction of water release is directed towards the plant rhizosphere microenvironment.

[0042] The overall structural mechanism of the three-unit collaborative operation is as follows: (1) Time-staggered collaboration: Night / high humidity: Water vapor adsorption is mainly completed by the air humidity response unit; Day / low humidity: Water release is mainly completed by the slow-release regulation functional area. (2) Spatial embedding collaboration: Each functional unit does not exist as an independent layered structure, but forms an embedded composite distribution relationship through the continuous pore network inside the ecological matrix. There is functional overlap in space without forming a rigid interface separation; the functions are naturally connected through the pore network to avoid structural conflicts. (3) Mechanism differentiation collaboration: Moisture absorption stage: Water vapor adsorption at the gas-solid interface; Storage stage: Pore interface energy control; Water release stage: Diffusion and adsorption energy attenuation control.

[0043] The ecological vegetation material for rock slopes of this invention features nighttime air hygroscopic absorption: Under nighttime or relatively high humidity conditions, the air humidity-responsive functional zones passively adsorb water vapor from the air. Specifically, water vapor comes into contact with microscale hygroscopic functional bodies through the material surface. The hygroscopic functional bodies capture the water vapor within themselves under the action of hydrophilic functional groups or hygroscopic salts, and the adsorbed water enters the material's multi-level porous storage structure. This process requires no external water source, and the adsorption rate is affected by the ambient relative humidity level.

[0044] The ecological vegetation material for rock slopes of the present invention provides temporary and steady-state water storage: the adsorbed water is temporarily stored in a multi-level porous storage structure in an adsorbed or discontinuous liquid state, and evaporation loss is reduced in the following ways: the higher interface energy in the pores increases the water retention time, the barrier effect of the microporous and mesoporous system is used to alleviate the rapid outward expansion of water, and the synergistic effect of the structure and material enables the internal water to be retained for a long time without external input.

[0045] The rock slope ecological vegetation material of this invention features temperature-responsive slow-release: under daytime temperature increases and air humidity decreases, the slow-release regulation zone within the material passively activates a water release mechanism. The rising ambient temperature reduces the adsorption energy of water within the hygroscopic units, causing the water stored in the pores to gradually migrate to the material surface under the influence of concentration gradients and diffusion, and release into the plant rhizosphere microenvironment, thereby effectively improving local moisture conditions. This process exhibits significant temperature response characteristics, allowing the water stored within the material to match the increased transpiration and water demand of plants during the day, providing a phased and continuous water supply. By utilizing the natural daytime temperature rise to trigger water release from the hygroscopic material, the system can slowly provide a stable trace amount of water to the rhizosphere environment under high temperature or low humidity conditions, achieving continuous water supply even without external irrigation. This regulation method significantly slows down the rate of rhizosphere moisture decay, reduces the fluctuation range of water content, and extends the survival period of vegetation under rainfall-free conditions. Even in environments with limited water conditions, such as extremely thin substrates or rock slopes, the material can still provide the necessary water for plant growth, demonstrating good ecological restoration adaptability and engineering application potential.

[0046] The ecological vegetation material for rock slopes of the present invention, through the design of pore size gradient and pore connectivity, allows adsorbed water to exist in the material in an adsorbed or discontinuous liquid state, which significantly slows down the rate of water evaporation and diffusion to the external environment, realizes non-instantaneous and non-concentrated release of water, avoids the formation of free and continuous water flow, thereby providing a continuous and stable supply of trace amounts of water to the plant rhizosphere and forming a relatively stable internal moist microenvironment.

[0047] Example 1: Application method of air humidity responsive vegetation material on steep slopes with extremely thin matrix rock

[0048] (I) Engineering conditions

[0049] A highway has a steep rock slope with an angle of about 65°. The rock surface is exposed, and only an ecological substrate layer with a thickness of 3 to 5 cm is allowed to be laid. The project area has low annual rainfall and strong evaporation, making artificial irrigation impossible.

[0050] (II) Structural Setting of Vegetation Materials

[0051] In this slope ecological restoration project, the air humidity-responsive ecological vegetation material of this invention is used, and its structure includes:

[0052] 1. Air humidity response unit: It adopts microencapsulated moisture-absorbing functional material with a particle size of 50~300μm, which is uniformly dispersed in the matrix and accounts for 10~25% of the volume fraction of the vegetation material.

[0053] 2. Multilevel Porous Storage Structure: A microporous-mesoporous composite pore system is formed by a porous mineral framework and an organic binder to temporarily store adsorbed water. (The multilevel porous storage structure is formed by a porous mineral framework and an organic binder. The porous mineral framework can be bentonite, volcanic rock, mesoporous alumina, etc., providing a microporous, mesoporous, and macroporous composite pore system for temporarily storing adsorbed water; the organic binder can be cellulose, sodium polyacrylate, or biodegradable polymer materials to enhance the overall stability of the material, maintain pore connectivity, and improve the hydrophilicity of the pore surface. This composite structure forms a stable multilevel porous storage structure while ensuring air humidity diffusion and slow water release. It is embedded or partially overlapped with the air humidity response functional area and the slow release regulation functional area, realizing a continuous, uncoupled continuous function of air humidity adsorption—water storage—slow-release water supply.)

[0054] 3. Slow-release regulation functional zone: Utilizing the internal pore gradient and diffusion resistance of the material, moisture is gradually released under conditions of increasing temperature.

[0055] (III) Construction and Operation Methods

[0056] A fixed structure 5 (three-dimensional vegetation net) is set up and anchored on the rocky slope; air humidity responsive vegetation material is mixed with a small amount of topsoil and sprayed onto the slope; when the relative humidity of the environment rises at night, the air humidity responsive unit in the vegetation material passively adsorbs air moisture; the adsorbed water is temporarily stored in the material in an adsorbed state; when the temperature rises during the day, the water is slowly released into the plant rhizosphere microenvironment by diffusion.

[0057] (iv) Technical effects

[0058] Under conditions of no rainfall and no irrigation, the survival time of vegetation was significantly extended; the fluctuation range of rhizosphere water content was significantly reduced; and stable vegetation cover was still formed under extremely thin substrate conditions.

[0059] Example 2: Application method of air humidity responsive vegetation material on rock slopes of unmanaged mines

[0060] (I) Engineering conditions

[0061] The rock slope in the restoration area of ​​an open-pit mine has a rough and irregular surface. It has been neglected for a long time, with long intervals between rainfalls and limited conditions for artificial water replenishment.

[0062] (II) Structural Setting of Vegetation Materials

[0063] The vegetation materials used include: high specific surface area hygroscopic particles for air humidity adsorption; multi-level porous framework materials (multi-level porous storage structure: porous mineral framework materials) for temporary water storage; and slow-release regulating structural units for water release in response to diurnal environmental conditions. Among them, the hygroscopic functional components are evenly distributed inside the material and do not form continuous water channels.

[0064] (III) Construction and Operation Methods

[0065] Eco-bags are set up on rocky slopes as the basic structure for vegetation; air humidity-responsive vegetation materials are filled into the eco-bags;

[0066] During the vegetation growth process: it absorbs moisture from the air at night and slowly releases moisture during the day; the entire process requires no external energy or human intervention.

[0067] (iv) Technical effects

[0068] It can maintain the activity of plant roots under long-term conditions without artificial management; reduce vegetation degradation caused by drought; and significantly improve the stability of mine ecological restoration.

[0069] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ecological vegetation material for rock slopes based on air humidity response, characterized in that, The system includes an ecological substrate and air humidity response units. The ecological substrate is laid on the surface of a rocky slope or in a vegetation base structure. The air humidity response units are dispersed in the upper to middle region of the ecological substrate in the form of microscale hygroscopic functional bodies. The air humidity response units and the ecological substrate within their thickness range together form an air humidity response functional zone, which is used to passively adsorb moisture under natural air humidity conditions. The hygroscopic functional bodies are one or more combinations of microencapsulated hygroscopic materials, porous hygroscopic bodies, or polymeric hygroscopic composites. The hygroscopic functional bodies can adsorb moisture in an environment with a relative humidity ≥20%. The ecological substrate at the bottom of the air humidity response functional zone and the ecological substrate located below the air humidity response functional zone form a slow-release regulation functional zone with a gradient distribution of pores. The air humidity response functional zone and the slow-release regulation functional zone together form a multi-level pore storage structure based on the continuous pore network inside the ecological substrate.

2. The vegetation material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The microencapsulated moisture-absorbing material is a moisture-absorbing salt, and the types of moisture-absorbing salt include, but are not limited to, lithium chloride, calcium chloride, and lithium bromide; the moisture-absorbing salt is coated with a polymer layer to form microcapsules, and the particle size of the microcapsules ranges from 10 to 500 μm; the thickness of the coating layer is 0.5 to 10 μm, and it is composed of a polymer, an inorganic composite layer, or a combination of both.

3. The vegetation material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The porous absorbent is made of inorganic or composite porous materials, including functionalized porous silicon-based materials, mesoporous alumina, and porous carbon materials or their modified forms; the specific surface area of ​​the porous absorbent is 100~1500 m². 2 / g, with a pore size of 2~100nm, to facilitate water vapor adsorption rather than liquid water entry.

4. The vegetation material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polymeric hygroscopic composite is a polymeric material or its composite system containing hydrophilic functional groups on its surface, used to adsorb water vapor in the air through hydrogen bonding.

5. The vegetation material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air humidity response unit is uniformly or semi-uniformly dispersed within a thickness range of 0.5 to 3.0 cm below the top surface of the ecological substrate; the mass fraction of the air humidity response unit accounts for 5 to 30% of the mass fraction of the vegetation material, or the volume fraction of the air humidity response unit accounts for 5 to 30% of the volume fraction of the vegetation material.

6. The vegetation material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pore structure in the multi-level porous storage structure consists of micropores, mesopores, and macropores from top to bottom.

7. The vegetation material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pore size of the ecological matrix in the air humidity response functional area is 5~100nm.

8. The vegetation material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slow-release regulation functional zone is continuously distributed in the middle to lower part of the ecological substrate based on the pore structure inside the multi-level pore storage structure. It and the air humidity response unit are located in different functional areas of the multi-level pore storage structure. The air humidity response functional zone and the slow-release regulation functional zone form a continuous transition and local functional overlap in the middle region through the multi-level pore structure to realize the continuous transfer of water from adsorption to storage to slow release. The lower part of the ecological substrate is the plant rhizosphere microenvironment area, which is connected to the water release area of ​​the slow-release regulation functional zone.

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