The Role of Lichens, Mosses, and Vascular Plants in the Biodeterioration of Historic Buildings: A Review

Abstract

Biodeterioration is defined as the alteration of a given substrate due to a combination of physical and chemical factors produced by living organisms when attached to such materials. This phenomenon attracts scientific research attention due to its risk in causing destruction to outdoor cultural rock heritage sites. In this review, an update on the state-of-art regarding the biodeterioration phenomenon is represented in order to highlight the type of colonizing vegetation and possible mechanisms behind the corresponding deterioration. For this reason, 62 articles with a focus on lichens, mosses, and higher plants were investigated by evaluating the role of construction materials and different plant species related to the hazard index. The results showed that trees and shrubs are the most harmful plant life forms, for example, Ficus carica, Ailanthus altissima, and Capparis spinosa, while regarding building materials, those characterized by high porosity, such as andesite and argillaceous limestone, are more vulnerable to plant colonization. Further studies are needed to examine in detail the relationship between colonizing organisms, intrinsic elements of the substrate, and external factors, as well as the refinement of measures to prevent and control colonization by plants.

Bryophyte Colonization on the Monuments of Champaner Pavagadh – UNESCO World Heritage Site and Its Association with Geological Substrates

“…2004). Bryophytes are not the primary colonizers on monuments because they are preceded by algae and cyanobacteria (Dakal & Cameotra 2012; Cozzolino et al . 2022).…”

“…The surfaces of buildings were porous and rough thanks to which they retained moisture. Firstly, microorganisms and organic materials are transported to the building by wind and water, and adhere to the substrate (Cozzolino et al . 2022).…”

Vegetation Analysis in the Archaeological Area of Pasargadae WHS (Iran) Enhancing the Naturalistic Value of the Site within the Occurring Environmental Changes

“…The nomenclature followed the "World of Flora Online" [57]. (11,12,14,29,32), remnants of the Royal Garden watercourses (16)(17)(18), semi-natural grasslands and shrublands under several edaphic conditions (4)(5)(6)(7)10,24,26,28,31,33), and stony and rocky hills (8,9,13,15,(19)(20)(21)(22)27,30).…”

“…A dendrogram was derived to illustrate the dissimilarities between samples and species, sorted according to the distance matrices [59]. Furthermore, to study the ecological gradients between the vegetation clusters, an ordination graph of sampling sites was (11,12,14,29,32), remnants of the Royal Garden watercourses (16)(17)(18), semi-natural grasslands and shrublands under several edaphic conditions (4)(5)(6)(7)10,24,26,28,31,33), and stony and rocky hills (8,9,13,15,(19)(20)(21)(22)27,30).…”

“…In this interaction, multiple dynamics are involved, in which vegetation can have both a negative and sometimes a positive action in the conservation of archaeological structures [7]. Indeed, the growth of plants in archaeological areas recurrently gives rise to biodeterioration phenomena, which is related to the development of their roots [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. However, less consideration has been given to the benefits and values that the plants can provide, both in terms of the direct benefits they offer and the indirect advantages gained from understanding their role.…”