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Encyclopedia of Geobiology pp 112–117Cite as

Biodeterioration (of Stone)

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Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

Biodeterioration : Undesirable alteration of the properties of materials caused by vital activities of organisms.

Introduction

Materials are exposed to weathering processes caused by physical, chemical, and biological factors, leading to an irreversible loss of our cultural heritage . The reduction of decay by conservation strategies is of particular importance to protect historical monuments or significant cultural artifacts.

Generally, the velocity of decay depends on the chemical nature and physical structure of materials as well as external factors associated to the locations where the objects are exposed. In many studies it was demonstrated that the process of weathering consists of various mechanisms acting together in coassociation with more or less intensity, making it impossible to separate individual aspects such as physical, chemical, or biological factors from each other (Koestler et al., 1994; Ehrlich, 2002). In many cases microbial activities can accelerate or...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Courant Research Centre Geobiology, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Christina Beimforde

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  1. Christina Beimforde
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  1. University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Joachim Reitner  & Volker Thiel  & 

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Beimforde, C. (2011). Biodeterioration (of Stone). In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_24

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