Objective Shallow landslides caused by heavy rainfall occur frequently in the mountainous areas of China, particularly in areas with vegetation cover, posing a serious threat to the safety of public infrastructure and human activities. However, the mechanisms by which root structure and transpiration affect slope instability are still not fully understood, and the synergistic effects between root instability characteristics, seepage characteristics, and soil pressure parameters during rainfall remain unclear. Methods To address the unclear mechanisms of tree species with plank roots on slopes in Malipo County, Yunnan Province, this study employed a rainfall centrifuge model test system to simulate the instability and failure process of a slope with plank roots subjected to five intermittent rainfall events. The instability evolution characteristics of the slope with plank roots were analyzed, and the impact of transpiration on water migration paths within the slope was investigated. By establishing relationships between water content, soil pressure, and instability characteristic parameters within the slope, the instability evolution mechanisms of the slope with plank roots were revealed. Results After five intermittent rainfall events, more than 90% of the slope surface with plank roots collapsed, and the maximum failure depth reached 2.89 times the plank root depth. Only a local area on the left side of the slope surface retained its original morphology. During the rainfall infiltration process, transpiration led to the formation of a low-water-content zone centered on the root system on the surface of the slope with plank roots. The shape of this zone evolved gradually from a "cup-shaped" pattern to "semi-elliptical" and "triangular" patterns as the rainfall stages progressed. After the five rainfall events, the low-water-content zone on the slope completely disappeared. Meanwhile, changes in soil pressure were primarily affected by changes in the volumetric water content of the overlying soil. When the soil on the slope surface experienced a dynamic fluctuation characterized by first increasing and then decreasing, the soil pressure exhibited a phased "increase-decrease-increase" pattern in response to the changes in water content within the slope. Conclusion The findings of this study can provide valuable references for the design and implementation of ecological slope protection projects with plank roots in mountainous areas.
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