Cave roof seepage prevention method based on cultivating dominant species in local plant community
By screening and cultivating local dominant herbaceous species and utilizing their root water absorption capacity, the problems of poor seepage prevention and ecological damage at the top of the grottoes were solved, achieving low-cost and low-disruption protection of grotto cultural relics.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANGHAI UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for preventing seepage at the top of grottoes cannot meet the requirements under heavy rainfall, and the introduction of alien species may cause ecological damage and weathering of cultural relics, making them unsuitable for large-scale application near archaeological sites.
By screening and cultivating dominant herbaceous species in local plant communities, utilizing their root water absorption capacity, and setting up humidity sensors to monitor the effect, the most suitable herbaceous plants are selected for planting on or around the grotto to reduce rainwater infiltration.
It effectively reduces moisture inside grottoes, protects cultural relics from weathering, avoids ecological damage caused by the introduction of alien species, is low in cost and causes little disturbance, and is suitable for the protection of archaeological sites.
Smart Images
Figure CN121100749B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of cultural relic protection technology, specifically relating to a method for preventing seepage on the top of a grotto based on cultivating dominant species in local plant communities. Background Technology
[0002] China is an ancient civilization with a long history, leaving behind a wealth of cultural relics, among which grotto temples are an important representative. As a typical immovable cultural relic, grotto temples have suffered extensive weathering damage over hundreds and thousands of years of exposure to wind, sun, and rain, resulting in a precarious state of preservation. Research has shown that many factors influence the weathering of grotto temples, such as water, temperature and humidity, air pollutants, biological agents, and soluble salts. Water is one of the most significant factors, and the effects of other factors largely depend on its presence; hence, water is often referred to as the "source of all evil" in cultural relics research. Existing research indicates that the sources of water in grottoes are mainly divided into four types: atmospheric precipitation, direct rainwater runoff, capillary water, and condensation. Taking atmospheric precipitation as an example, after rainfall, water seeps into the rock mass through the soil layer at the top of the grotto and enters the grotto through cracks in the rock mass itself or caused by human intervention, creating a series of water-rock interactions that damage the relics.
[0003] To mitigate the impact of atmospheric precipitation on grotto artifacts, major grotto temples in China typically employ methods such as digging open drainage ditches, installing geotextile fabric on the roof, and sealing cracks to reduce seepage. While these methods can alleviate seepage to some extent, they still cannot meet the anti-seepage requirements under heavy rainfall conditions, and they also involve significant intervention in the environment where the artifacts are situated, as well as high costs.
[0004] In recent years, some scholars have proposed planting vegetation around grottoes to prevent seepage. This method utilizes the canopy's ability to redistribute and intercept rainfall, thus reducing water seepage from the grotto roof. While this approach can mitigate the impact of seepage on grotto artifacts to some extent, several problems exist. For example, it doesn't consider whether introduced species will adapt to the local environment or the impact of decaying leaves. If introduced species grow rapidly during the rainy season, reducing rainwater infiltration, but then die during the dry season due to their inability to adapt, a large amount of plant roots and leaves will rot in the soil above the grotto. Acidic and soluble salts from these decaying substances will be transported into the grotto with the next rainfall, accelerating weathering and causing irreversible damage. Most importantly, some grotto roofs contain archaeological sites, such as the Northern Wei Buddhist ruins excavated at the Yungang Grottoes. Given the limitations of current technology, many grotto roofs have not undergone extensive archaeological excavation. Therefore, it is not advisable to use shrubs with long root systems and significant disturbance before a thorough understanding of the site is achieved.
[0005] Therefore, in order to protect our common heritage, it is urgent to find a plant that can adapt to the local environment, has low leaf drop, requires minimal engineering intervention, and is inexpensive. Summary of the Invention
[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing methods for preventing seepage at the top of grottoes, this invention provides a method based on cultivating dominant species from local plant communities. The method utilizes the water absorption capacity of the dominant plant species' roots to reduce or block rainwater from entering the grotto, thereby achieving the effect of protecting the grotto cultural relics.
[0007] Specifically, this invention provides a method for preventing seepage on the roof of a grotto based on cultivating dominant species from a local plant community. The seepage prevention method includes the following steps: (a) Screening of dominant herbaceous species and identification of root morphology characteristics in plant communities on or around the top of the grotto: First, the proportion of herbaceous plants in the plot area was determined by the nested quadrat dominant species survey method, and several dominant herbaceous species were screened out; then, the root morphology characteristics data of each dominant herbaceous species were obtained by the root scanning method, and several relatively dominant herbaceous species with well-developed root systems and strong water absorption capacity in the same phenological period were screened out. (b) Test on the seepage prevention characteristics of dominant herbaceous species in the plant community on or around the grotto: First, the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species in the local plant community selected in step (a) above were sampled and cultivated in the laboratory; then, the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species were buried in the soil layer on the top of the grotto with a known weight and germinated under suitable conditions; finally, the soil layer was watered and weighed after a specific time, and the change in water absorption mass of each relatively dominant herbaceous species during the growth process was recorded to determine the final dominant herbaceous species; (c) On-site monitoring and evaluation of the water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the plant roots on the top of the grotto: The final dominant herbaceous species were cultivated on the top of the grotto, and humidity sensors were evenly set along the depth and length directions to record the water content under different rainfall conditions and determine the actual on-site water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the final dominant herbaceous species. (d) Cultivation and planting of the final dominant herbaceous species and seepage prevention treatment: Based on the actual seepage prevention needs and the water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the final dominant herbaceous species, the final dominant herbaceous species are cultivated and planted on the top or around the grotto to complete the seepage prevention treatment of the grotto top based on the cultivation of dominant species in the local plant community.
[0008] Preferably, the parameters of the nested quadrat dominant species survey method include screening for relatively uniform plant sites, quadrat area, type and quantity of herbaceous plants within the quadrat, fixed-rate quadrat expansion area, and minimum quadrat area.
[0009] Preferably, the number of dominant herbaceous species is 1-5.
[0010] Preferably, the parameters of the root scanning method include fluorescent dye sample immersion, optical resolution, image processing, and image stitching; wherein the optical resolution is at least 4800×9600 dpi.
[0011] Preferably, the root morphological characteristics data include root length and root surface area; more preferably, the root length is 20–40 cm and the root surface area is 200–400 cm². 2 .
[0012] Preferably, the number of relatively dominant herbaceous species is 1-3.
[0013] Preferably, the suitable environment refers to the actual temperature and humidity of the grotto; the amount and time of watering refer to the actual rainfall in the grotto.
[0014] Preferably, the depth interval between adjacent humidity sensors is 5 to 25 cm, more preferably 5 cm apart, and the length interval is 30 to 50 cm.
[0015] Beneficial effects (1) This invention screens and cultivates dominant species in local plant communities to avoid the introduction of alien species that could cause biological invasion and damage to the original ecology; (2) The dominant species selected in this invention are herbaceous plants, which avoids the large amount of leaf drop of lush tree species during the dry season, which would cause acid and soluble salt residues on the top of the cave. (3) The herbaceous dominant species used in this invention can quickly absorb water using their own roots without the need to cultivate multiple vegetation organisms; (4) The technical solution disclosed in this invention uses local materials, has little environmental interference with cultural relics, is inexpensive, and is easy to cultivate and manage. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the present invention of a method for preventing seepage on the top of a grotto based on cultivating dominant species in a local plant community. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the instrument layout for screening dominant species and identifying root features in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the laboratory test in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the on-site monitoring and evaluation setup in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0017] The present invention is further illustrated by the embodiments described below. It should be understood that the embodiments described below are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0018] Currently, most methods for preventing seepage in grotto cultural relics are physical and chemical, with limited application of biological seepage prevention technology. Furthermore, existing biological seepage prevention methods often fail to consider the subsequent impacts of introducing alien species. Therefore, adopting a seepage prevention method based on cultivating dominant species from local plant communities is effective and crucial.
[0019] To address the problem of atmospheric precipitation seeping into the interior of grottoes and causing weathering of cultural relics, this invention provides a method based on cultivating dominant species from local plant communities and utilizing the water absorption capacity of these dominant plant roots to reduce seepage. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the seepage prevention method for the top of a grotto based on cultivating dominant species in a local plant community provided by the present invention may include the following steps.
[0020] (a) Screening of dominant species in the herbaceous layer of the plant community at or around the top of the grotto and identification of root morphological characteristics: First, the proportion of herbaceous plants in the plot area was determined by the nested quadrat dominant species survey method, and several dominant herbaceous species were screened out. Then, the root morphology characteristics of each dominant herbaceous species were obtained by the root scanning method, and several relatively dominant herbaceous species with well-developed root systems and strong water absorption capacity in the same phenological period were screened out.
[0021] In some implementations, the parameters of the nested quadrat dominant species survey method may include screening for relatively uniform plant sites, quadrat area, type and quantity of herbaceous plants within the quadrat, fixed-rate quadrat area expansion, and minimum quadrat area.
[0022] As an example, a minimum quadrat with relatively uniform vegetation on the cave ceiling can be selected, with an area approximately 1 / 64 of the total cave ceiling area. All plant species in the quadrat are recorded based on the size of the herbaceous layer. Subsequently, the quadrat area is increased by a fixed factor, and the plant species within it are recorded. When the quadrat area is small, the number of plant species within the quadrat increases rapidly with the increase in area. After reaching a certain area, the rate of increase in species within the quadrat slows down until the increase in species no longer occurs or increases very little. The minimum quadrat area can be determined by the quadrat area covering 84% of the species in the total area of the quadrat.
[0023] In some embodiments, the number of dominant herbaceous species can be 1 to 5.
[0024] In some embodiments, the parameters of the root scanning method may include fluorescent dye sample immersion, optical resolution, image processing, and image stitching; wherein the optical resolution is at least 4800×9600 dpi.
[0025] In some embodiments, the root morphological characteristic data may include root length and root surface area; preferably, the root length may be 20–40 cm, and the root surface area may be 200–400 cm². 2Because the minimum thickness of the cave ceiling can reach 100cm, this avoids the root length from causing the rock inside the cave to split, allowing water to seep directly into the cave along the cracks.
[0026] In some embodiments, the number of relatively dominant herbaceous species can be 1 to 3.
[0027] This invention selects the herbaceous plant community on or around the top of a grotto as the research object. This avoids the risks of blindly introducing alien species, which could damage the naturalness and integrity of the landscape, destroy the ecosystem, harm plant diversity, and affect genetic diversity. At the same time, considering the significant differences in soil infiltration and water storage capacity among different plant cover surfaces, and to avoid the excessive water conduction and storage caused by tall plants such as trees and shrubs, the dominant species were ultimately selected from the herbaceous plant community on or around the top of the grotto.
[0028] (b) Test on the seepage prevention characteristics of dominant species in the herbaceous layer of the plant community at or around the grotto: First, the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species in the local plant community selected in step (a) above were sampled and cultivated in the laboratory. Then, the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species were buried in the top soil layer of a known weight of the grotto and germinated under suitable conditions; Finally, the soil was watered and weighed after a specific period of time. The changes in water absorption mass of each relatively dominant herbaceous species during growth were recorded to determine the final dominant herbaceous species.
[0029] In some implementations, to ensure the survival rate of the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species after sampling and to avoid damage during transportation, the collected seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species can be air-dried, threshed, and stored in paper bags in a refrigerator at 4°C.
[0030] In some implementations, the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species after sampling can be selected in the laboratory to achieve a higher germination rate.
[0031] In some implementations, the suitable environment refers to the actual temperature and humidity of the grotto; the amount and time of watering refer to the actual rainfall in the grotto.
[0032] In some implementations, the herbaceous species that absorbs the most water under the same environmental conditions and time period is determined as the final dominant herbaceous species.
[0033] (c) On-site monitoring and evaluation of the water absorption and seepage prevention effects of the plant root system on the top of the grotto: The final dominant herbaceous species were cultivated on the top of the grotto, and humidity sensors were evenly installed along the depth and length directions to record the moisture content under different rainfall conditions, thereby determining the actual on-site water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the final dominant herbaceous species.
[0034] In some embodiments, the depth interval between adjacent humidity sensors can be 5 to 25 cm, preferably 5 cm apart, and the length interval can be 30 to 50 cm.
[0035] (d) Final cultivation and planting of dominant herbaceous species and seepage prevention treatment: Based on the actual seepage prevention needs and the water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the final dominant herbaceous species, the final dominant herbaceous species are cultivated and planted on the top or around the grotto to complete the seepage prevention treatment of the grotto top based on the cultivation of dominant species in the local plant community.
[0036] The method provided by this invention can reduce or even block rainwater from seeping into the interior of the grotto from the top, thereby reducing the impact of water on the weathering of the grotto artifacts. Furthermore, the use of this method will quickly screen and cultivate suitable dominant herbaceous plants, which can reduce the amount of precipitation during atmospheric downwelling, playing an important role in the protection of grotto artifacts and making a significant contribution to the protection of humanity's common heritage.
[0037] The following examples further illustrate the present invention in detail. It should also be understood that the following examples are only for further explanation of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-essential improvements and adjustments made by those skilled in the art based on the above description of the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. The specific process parameters, etc., in the following examples are merely examples within a suitable range; that is, those skilled in the art can make appropriate selections within the appropriate range based on the description herein, and are not intended to be limited to the specific values in the examples below.
[0038] Example 1
[0039] This embodiment takes the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Shanxi Province, a World Cultural Heritage site, as its subject, and conducts a study on the screening of dominant herbaceous species on the top of the Yungang Grottoes and their seepage prevention effect. The specific steps are as follows: (a) Screening of dominant species in the herbaceous layer of the plant community at or around the top of the grotto and identification of root morphological characteristics: Nested sampling was conducted at three locations with relatively uniform vegetation growth and gentle slopes, selected inside the Ming Castle at the top of the Yungang Grottoes and on its east and west sides. This involved selecting the smallest possible sample plot area. Figure 2 As shown in (a), based on the coverage and phenological period in each quadrat, after removing plants with withered above-ground parts, the dominant herbaceous species in the quadrat were selected as *Syngonium sinense*, *Rosa rugosa*, *Allium chinense*, *Gnaphalium affine*, and *Potentilla chinensis*. Using root scanning method ( Figure 2 (b) Obtain root morphological data such as root length and root surface area of each dominant herbaceous species, and then analyze and screen out species with well-developed root systems and strong water absorption capacity in the same phenological period; the scanning results show that *Syngonium sinense*, *Allium chinense*, and *Potentilla chinensis* are relatively dominant herbaceous species; (b) Test on the seepage prevention characteristics of the dominant species in the herbaceous layer of the plant community at the top of the grotto: Seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species initially screened in step (a) were sampled and transported to the laboratory. In the laboratory, each seed, along with the sampled soil layer, was placed in a specific culture instrument (with a pure soil layer set up as a reference). The instrument was then placed in a multi-functional environmental test chamber (e.g., Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the test chamber can adjust the temperature and humidity to match the environment of the Yungang Grottoes and simulate rainfall; The simulated seeds and soil layers were weighed to obtain changes in water absorption. By comparing the water absorption of each dominant species under the same environment, the final dominant herbaceous species was determined and used as the seepage-proof and water-absorbing plant for the top of the grotto. The results showed that the fine-leaved chives had the best water absorption effect and could be used as the final dominant herbaceous species. (c) On-site monitoring and evaluation of the water absorption and seepage prevention effects of the plant root system on the top of the grotto: A trench was excavated in the Quaternary overburden layer at the top of the Yungang Grottoes, and humidity sensors were evenly installed along the depth and length directions before backfilling (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (As shown in the figure), then the fine-leaved leek sample was placed on the surface to obtain the water content of the dominant species at different depths before and after the rainy season in a real environment; the results showed that the fine-leaved leek root has a good water absorption effect and can be used as an important species for future biological seepage prevention in Yungang Grottoes. (d) Final cultivation and planting of dominant herbaceous species and seepage prevention treatment: Based on the actual seepage prevention needs and the water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the fine-leaved chives, the fine-leaved chives are planted on or around the top of the grotto and cultivated to complete the seepage prevention treatment of the grotto top based on the cultivation of dominant species in the local plant community.
[0040] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A method for preventing seepage from the top of a cave based on cultivating dominant species in a local plant community, characterized by, The seepage prevention method includes the following steps: (a) Screening of dominant herbaceous species and identification of root morphology characteristics in plant communities on or around the top of the grotto: First, the proportion of herbaceous plants in the plot area was determined by the nested quadrat dominant species survey method, and several dominant herbaceous species were screened out; then, the root morphology characteristics data of each dominant herbaceous species were obtained by the root scanning method, and several relatively dominant herbaceous species with well-developed roots and strong water absorption capacity in the same phenological period were screened out. (b) Test on the seepage prevention characteristics of dominant herbaceous species in the plant community on or around the grotto: First, the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species in the local plant community selected in step (a) above were sampled and cultivated in the laboratory; then, the seeds of the relatively dominant herbaceous species were buried in the soil layer on the top of the grotto with a known weight and germinated under suitable conditions; finally, the soil layer was watered and weighed after a specific time, and the change in water absorption mass of each relatively dominant herbaceous species during the growth process was recorded to determine the final dominant herbaceous species; (c) On-site monitoring and evaluation of the water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the plant roots on the top of the grotto: The final dominant herbaceous species were cultivated on the top of the grotto, and humidity sensors were evenly set along the depth and length directions to record the water content under different rainfall conditions and determine the actual on-site water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the final dominant herbaceous species. (d) Cultivation and planting of the final dominant herbaceous species and seepage prevention treatment: Based on the actual seepage prevention needs and the water absorption and seepage prevention effect of the final dominant herbaceous species, the final dominant herbaceous species are cultivated and planted on the top or around the grotto to complete the seepage prevention treatment of the grotto top based on the cultivation of dominant species in the local plant community. The parameters of the nested quadrat dominant species survey method include screening for relatively uniform plant sites, quadrat area, type and quantity of herbaceous plants in the quadrat, fixed-rate quadrat expansion area and minimum quadrat area. The parameters of the root scanning method include fluorescent dye sample immersion, optical resolution, image processing, and image stitching; wherein the optical resolution is at least 4800×9600 dpi. The root system morphological characteristic data includes root length and root system surface area; the root length is 20-40 cm, and the root system surface area is 200-400 cm 2 .
2. The seepage prevention method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of dominant herbaceous species is 1-5.
3. The seepage prevention method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of relatively dominant herbaceous species is 1-3.
4. The seepage prevention method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suitable environment refers to the actual temperature and humidity of the grotto; the amount and time of watering refer to the actual rainfall in the grotto.
5. The seepage prevention method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The depth interval between adjacent humidity sensors is 5–25 cm, and the length interval is 30–50 cm.
6. The seepage prevention method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The depth interval between adjacent humidity sensors is 5 cm.