Assessing the Impact of Lichens on Saint Simeon Church, Paşabağ Valley (Cappadocia, Turkey): Potential Damaging Effects versus Protection from Rainfall and Winds
Source abstract
Abstract
The impact of lichens on the conservation of monuments, such as the World Heritage Site (WHS) of Cappadocian churches, presents a multifaceted challenge for conservators. Previous studies have shown that lichens can both induce deterioration processes of stone through their penetration into the substrate and chemical interactions as well as provide bioprotection, forming encrustations including calcium oxalate layers, which help mitigating the effects of weathering, reducing water penetration and eolian erosion. Evaluating the impact of lichens requires a comprehensive understanding of various factors, which include the type of rock substrate, the colonizing lichen species, the monument architecture, and the prevailing physic-chemical weathering processes. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of lichen colonization on Saint Simeon Church in the Paşabağı Valley (Turkey) with a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the interplay between lichens, microclimatic conditions, and the degradation of stone. Specifically, this study examines the influence of wind-driven rain (WDR) occurrences on lichen distribution and stone weathering to develop comprehensive conservation strategies. The results confirmed the previous observations and showed a prevalence of the protective role of lichens over their deterioration. The northwest side of the church, despite being heavily impacted by environmental factors such as WDR and freezing–thawing cycles, showed reduced deterioration due to extensive lichen coverage. In contrast, the northeast side, with lower lichen colonization, demonstrated more severe deterioration. These findings suggest that integrating the protective aspects of lichen colonization into conservation strategies can enhance their preservation.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Building materials and conservation · Conservation Techniques and Studies · Lichen and fungal ecology
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Institute of Heritage Science (CNR-ISPC), National Research Council of Italy, Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Montelibretti, Via Salaria Km 29,300, 00015 Rome, Italy
Dipartimento di Farmacia, University of Genova, Viale Cembrano 4, 16148 Genova, Italy
Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1-Tenno-dai, Tsukuba 305-8571, Japan
Department of Science, University Roma TRE, Viale Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
Funding
Kajima Foundation · JSPS KAKENHI
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