Study of the potential impact of climate change on the biodeterioration of structural wood in the built cultural heritage at the Vale Histórico Paulista

• Grant number: 13/12740-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2013
• End date: September 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Andrea Cavicchioli
• Grantee: Felipe Sousa Neves Andrade
• Host Institution: Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present project will be carried out within the framework of the broader research proposal "Cultural Heritage in the Vale Historico Paulista: vulnerability analysis towards climate changes", approved in a FAPESP-Condephaat call (N. 2011/51016-9) and whose main goal is to identify, characterize and map tangible cultural heritage located in the Sao Paulo State Vale Historico Paulista, assess the physical vulnerability of historical buildings in face of climate change scenarios forecast until the end of the XXI century and outline public politics guidelines for the mitigation of damages. In this context, the master project hereby presented will focus on structural wood materials of historical buildings and fungi-driven biodeterioration. The aim is to identify the most important fungi species present in such structures, characterize their biodeterioration patterns and investigate their response in terms of growth rate under present and predicted future climate conditions (temperature and relative humidity). For this reason, a multidisciplinary approach was defined, encompassing the in situ collection of wood samples, the taxonomic identification of fungi, the biochemical recognition of degradation patterns (cellulolytic and ligninolitic activity, including SEM inspection) and the exposition of selected strains to climatic simulations defined on the basis of present meteorological information and future projections. The ultimate target is the elaboration of a vulnerability scenario of historical buildings in which wood represents one of the prevalent material elements, thus supporting preventive conservation strategies.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

ANDRADE, Felipe Sousa Neves. Study of the potential impact of climate change on wood structures decay in the built cultural heritage of Paulista Historic Valley. 2016. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades (EACH) São Paulo.