Biodiversity of cyanobacteria and green algae on monuments in the Mediterranean Basin: an overview.
The presence and deteriorating action of micro-organisms on monuments and stone works of art have received considerable attention in the last few years. Knowledge of the microbial populations living on stone materials is the starting point for successful conservation treatment and control. This paper reviews the literature on cyanobacteria and chlorophyta that cause deterioration of stone cultural heritage (outdoor monuments and stone works of art) in European countries of the Mediterranean Basin. Some 45 case studies from 32 scientific papers published between 1976 and 2009 were analysed. Six lithotypes were considered: marble, limestone, travertine, dolomite, sandstone and granite. A wide range of stone monuments in the Mediterranean Basin support considerable colonization of cyanobacteria and chlorophyta, showing notable biodiversity. About 172 taxa have been described by different authors, including 37 genera of cyanobacteria and 48 genera of chlorophyta. The most widespread and commonly reported taxa on the stone cultural heritage in the Mediterranean Basin are, among cyanobacteria, Gloeocapsa, Phormidium and Chroococcus and, among chlorophyta, Chlorella, Stichococcus and Chlorococcum. The results suggest that cyanobacteria and chlorophyta colonize a wide variety of substrata and that this is related primarily to the physical characteristics of the stone surface, microclimate and environmental conditions and secondarily to the lithotype.
VICARTE, Departamento de Conservação e Restauro, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Monte da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
Maria Filomena
MF
Macedo
Departamento de Conservação e Restauro, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Monte da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
Ana Zélia
AZ
Miller
Centro de Petrologia e Geoquímica, Departamento de Engenharia de Minas e Georrecursos, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
Amélia
A
Dionísio
Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiologia, CSIC, Apartado 1052, 41080 Sevilla, Spain.
Cesareo
C
Saiz-Jimenez
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D044822:Biodiversity; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003252:Construction Materials / Q000382:microbiology*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D012613:Sculpture; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
C007886:granite; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D002119:Calcium Carbonate