Is there a link between the biological colonization of the gravestone and its deterioration

Abstract The relationship between the structure (taxonomic richness and composition) of biological assemblages colonizing gravestones and the deterioration of the gravestone surface was investigated. The study was conducted at the Rakowicki Cemetery in Krakow, which is a Polish cultural heritage site. Data on the occurrence of algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and lichens were collected from 10 limestone and 10 sandstone substrates. Deteriorations were visually assessed on a generalized 3-point scale. In total, 77 taxa were recorded, including 21 algae, 3 cyanobacteria, 13 fungi and 40 lichens. Both the taxonomic richness and the composition of the studied biota were related to the degree of deterioration but the relationships were weak. A significant increase in the taxonomic richness of lichens was recorded, but only between the second and third degrees of deterioration. This was accompanied by a compositional shift in the fungi group, which resulted mainly from the more frequent occurrence of one species, Knufia marmoricola, on more deteriorated surfaces. The type of substrate had a strong impact on the taxonomic composition (especially, of fungi and lichens), but not on the taxonomic richness. The structural changes in gravestone assemblages during the observed succession, although quite small, may lead to intensification of the deterioration processes.