Background Human engineering activities such as mining and road construction cause a large number of exposed high and steep rocky slopes, which easily lead to a series of complex ecological problems, and have become the focus of comprehensive territorial space management. The restoration of vegetation on these slopes is particularly challenging due to poor substrate conditions, low water retention, and steep gradients that hinder plant establishment and growth. Addressing these challenges requires effective soil stabilization techniques to create conditions conducive to vegetation recovery. This study aims to address these issues by focusing on the vegetation reconstruction techniques for these slopes.

Methods The study conducted a systematic literature review by retrieving publications from major databases using a combination of keywords such as “high and steep rock slopes” “soil stabilization” and “vegetation restoration”. These keywords were selected to cover both engineering and ecological aspects. Studies lacking relevance to slope environments or empirical support were excluded. The selected literature was analyzed and categorized by the type of soil retention method.

Results 1) The study systematically summarized the research progress and current applications, categorizing soil retention methods into three approaches: physical soil retention (e.g., anchor nets and geotextiles) for mechanical slope reinforcement; chemical soil improvement (e.g., polymer binders and soil conditioners) for enhancing substrate cohesion and water retention; and biological soil reinforcement (using plant roots and microbial activity) for anchoring soil and improving soil fertility. 2) An integrated approach combining these methods yielded the best results, achieving higher vegetation coverage, reduced soil erosion rates, and improved substrate quality. Despite these advances, challenges remained, such as the high costs of physical stabilization structures, the environmental risks associated with some chemical stabilizers and the scalability of biological techniques. These findings underscored the need for a balanced, sustainable, and site-specific approach to soil stabilization. 3) The research suggested that the integration of multiple soil retention techniques was becoming a trend, particularly in complex geological conditions, and called for further optimization of the soil retention methods and their adaptability to enhance the efficiency, long-term stability, and environmental compatibility of ecological restoration efforts. The study concluded that future research should focus on deepening cooperative mechanism between soil consolidation and plants, optimizing regional adaptation and technical system, and strengthening intelligent monitoring and long-term evaluation.

Conclusions This study confirms that integrating physical, chemical, and biological soil retention methods provided a more effective approach to vegetation restoration on high and steep rocky slopes. These findings provide a reference for addressing the background question of how to restore vegetation under poor substrate conditions and steep gradients.