Seminar on lichens, biofilms, and stone

Lichens, Biofilms, and Stone
Eagle Hill Institute
Steuben, Maine
July 14-20, 2013

http://www.eaglehill.us/

Maine's Hancock and Sullivan Counties, with their rocky shorelines
and inland hills, are rich with lichen species and biofilms.
Buildings and structures made with granite from local quarries host
lichens and biofilms.  Imported grave markers of granite, marble,
slate, and sandstone from other New England states and foreign
countries are found in cemeteries, and these markers also host
lichens and biofilms.  In this seminar, we will study the physical,
chemical, ecological, and aesthetic relationships between lichens,
biofilms, and stone.

Different lichen species grow on different stone types in different
environments.  Lichen growth is influenced by a stone's mineralogy
and condition, and by the microclimates created by plant cover,
open-air exposure, proximity to water, stone orientation, and
surface topography.  Biofilms also show diversity with their
presence on different stone types and in different environments. The
interactions between lichens and biofilms and to what extent lichens
and biofilms protect or harm stone surfaces from weathering are
questions that will be discussed.

We will present lectures on basic lichen morphology and species
identification; biofilm "morphology;" the role of lichens and
biofilms in the environment; basic geology; the history of stone
quarrying, finishing, and construction; and the history and
contemporary practices of preservation "treatments" for stone. Field
trips are planned for forest and shore environments, a granite
quarry, a gravel pit, and several cemeteries.  We will examine and
identify lichens, biofilms, and stones in the field and in the
laboratory.  We will also examine the impact of surface manipulation
of stone (cutting, polishing, and chemical "treatments") and how
these impacts may influence (or not) the growth of lichens and
biofilms.  As a class project, participants will compile a checklist
of the lichen species found during the field trips.

We expect participants to represent a wide variety of disciplines
and avocations; the pursuit of individual interests will be
encouraged.  While prior knowledge of lichens, biofilms, or stone
will be useful for this seminar, it is not necessary.

Judy Jacob <judithmjacob<-at->yahoo<.>com> is a Senior Conservator with the
National Park Service, Northeast Region, in the New York City Field
Office.  She works primarily on stone monuments and masonry
buildings: evaluating conditions, preparing preservation plans, and
executing stabilization and repair treatments.

Michaela Schmull <judithmjacob<-at->yahoo<.>com>, PhD. is a lichenologist
and the Research and Curatorial Associate at the Farlow Herbarium,
Harvard University. Her research interests include lichen ecology,
biodiversity, and systematics.  She has taught classes in plant
microscopy, plant identification, and lichens and air pollution.


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:38
                 Distributed: Sunday, February 17, 2013
                       Message Id: cdl-26-38-012
                                  ***