[Objective] The effects of pavement excavation on the root characteristics of four typical plants in subalpine meadows were analyzed in order to provide references for slope vegetation restoration. [Methods] Four common subalpine herbaceous plants， Potentilla fulgens， Anaphalis sinica， Plantago asiatica and Myriactis nepalensis， were selected as the research objects. The root morphology， physiological characteristics and tensile properties of different plants in the disturbed area （fill slope） and undisturbed area were measured， and the influence of pavement excavation on root characteristics was discussed. [Results] ① After pavement excavation， the root system of P. asiatica and M. nepalensis became more developed. The root length， root surface area， and root volume of them increased by 241.97% and 106.97% （p<0.05）， 233.87% and 71.03% （p<0.05）， and 174.52% and 87.07% （p<0.05）， respectively. However， it had a relatively small impact on the P. fulgens and A. sinica. ② After pavement excavation， the activity of peroxidase （POD） in P. asiatica and M. nepalensis decreased by 9.81% and 7.23% （p<0.05）， respectively. The scavenging process of hydrogen peroxide （H₂O₂） was blocked， and the content of H₂O₂ increased by 8.33% and 14.71% （p<0.05）， respectively. ③ After pavement excavation， the tensile force， tensile strength and Young’s modulus of single root of plant roots did not change significantly， And the single root tensile force of P. fulgens and A. sinica was significantly greater than the other two. [Conclusion] The tolerance and tensile properties to soil disturbance of straight-rooted P. fulgens and A. sinica green to pavement excavation are stronger than those of fibrous-rooted P. asiatica and M. nepalensis， which can be preferentially selected in regional slope vegetation restoration.