ERDC-CRREL invented a specialized tool that measures vegetation shear strength, or how much force is required to pull the plant out by the roots. A multidisciplinary ERDC team is working to modernize widely used flood models such as StormSim and Hydrologic Engineering Center software by developing a vegetation index that more comprehensively quantifies vegetation stability on coastal levees. The index will incorporate an array of ecological measurements, such as root/shoot ratios, evapotranspiration rates, soil moisture, vegetation shear, root strength, and vegetation age, size and type. Photo by Dr. Simone Whitecloud, ERDC-CRREL.