Extraction of deterioration and analysis of vegetation impact effects on the south palace wall of Weiyang Palace

A groundbreaking study reveals that vegetation plays a complex and dual role in the deterioration of earthen heritage sites, such as Weiyang Palace's south palace wall—a UNESCO-listed component of the Silk Roads network. While paper mulberry offers protective effects against erosion, Ziziphus jujuba significantly accelerates structural vulnerabilities. The research, combining high-resolution LiDAR scanning with on-site botanical surveys and multi-source data analysis, introduces innovative methodologies for monitoring and analyzing deterioration in earthen heritage sites along the Silk Road. These findings provide critical insights for guiding conservation efforts, offering a technical model applicable to similar sites across the network.

Gao, S., Tao, L., Chen, F., Zhou, X., Shi, P., Yao, X., Zhu, M., Li, W., Zhou, W., Luo, Y., Li, H., Chen, C., & Zhang, X. (2024). Extraction of deterioration and analysis of vegetation impact effects on the south palace wall of Weiyang Palace. Heritage Science, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01485-x