Abstract: Root system played a key role in soil and water conservation. Therefore, it has aroused attention of the domestic and overseas experts and scholars. In recent years, a number of new research methods have emerged in studying the effect of the root system on soil reinforcement and the purpose of this paper is to extensively collect and study the methods adopted so far. These methods enable us to evaluate the effect of root system on soil reinforcement, providing the basis for selecting plants from the perspective of root system enforced soil. In light of the mechanism of soil and root system，the quantitative distribution of root system,the mechanical strength of root system, the shear experiment of root-soil compounds and the quantitative expression of the reinforcement effect，the paper sums up the methods of studying root system enforced soil.The summary helps outline a general application of the research system for the effect of the root system on soil reinforcement. Meanwhile，it also provides an important reference for the future research in this field.