Factors involved in the colonisation of building façades by algae and cyanobacteria in France

Abstract Algae and cyanobacteria are colonisers of building façades. A multivariate analysis of data gathered during a sampling campaign around France proved that precipitation, hygrometry, thermal amplitude, distance from the sea and proximity to vegetation were environmental parameters influencing this colonisation. Other influencing factors could be attributed to the nature of the façade coating, mineral substrata being more frequently colonised, and to the architecture, favouring in some cases the formation of damp conditions and thus the colonisation of the building envelope.

[1]  H. Ettl,et al.  Süsswasserflora von Mitteleuropa , 1985 .

[2]  H. Schlichting.  Some subaerial algae from Ireland , 1975 .

[3]  M. Guiry,et al.  Composition and spatial variability of terrestrial algal assemblages occurring at the bases of urban walls in Europe , 2004 .

[4]  O. Guillitte,et al.  Bioreceptivity : a new concept for building ecology studies , 1995 .

[5]  D. John.  Algal growths on buildings: a general review and methods of treatment , 1988 .

[6]  T. Rivas,et al.  Environmental Factors Affecting the Distribution of Lichens on Granitic Monuments in the Iberian Peninsula , 1999, The Lichenologist.

[7]  D. A. Larson,et al.  Airborne Algae: Their Abundance and Heterogeneity , 1964, Science.

[8]  Cesáreo Sáiz-Jiménez,et al.  Isolation and characterization of epilithic chlorophytes and cyanobacteria from two Spanish cathedrals (Salamanca and Toledo) , 1993 .

[9]  Giulia Caneva,et al.  Ecological trends in travertine colonisation by pioneer algae and plant communities. , 2003 .

[10]  Christine C. Gaylarde,et al.  Algae and cyanobacteria on painted buildings in Latin America , 2000 .

[11]  Christine C. Gaylarde,et al.  A comparative study of the major microbial biomass of biofilms on exteriors of buildings in Europe and Latin America , 2005 .

[12]  Christine C. Gaylarde,et al.  Algal and Cyanobacterial Biofilms on Calcareous Historic Buildings , 2003, Current Microbiology.

[13]  Cesáreo Sáiz-Jiménez,et al.  Factors affecting the weathering and colonization of monuments by phototrophic microorganisms , 1995 .

[14]  Piero Tiano,et al.  Biodiversity of photosynthetic micro-organisms dwelling on stone monuments , 2000 .

[15]  M. Guiry,et al.  The distribution of some species of Trentepohliaceae (Trentepohliales, Chlorophyta) in France , 2003 .

[16]  M. Guiry,et al.  Composition and distribution of subaerial algal assemblages in Galway City, western Ireland , 2003 .