Francesca Gherardi – författare

As predicted by Charles Elton in 1958, today invasive species have come to dominate 3% of the Earth’s ice-free surface, constituting one of the most serious ecological and economic threats of the new millennium. In spite of any prevention effort, the number of invasive species is expected to increase in the next years as an inevitable consequence of both the augmented complexity of international trade and the deregulation of national and international markets. New pathways have been opened and the movement of non-indigenous species along them has been facilitated.

The book examines the identity, distribution, and impact of freshwater non-indigenous species and the dynamics of their invasion. Rather than providing a broad and comprehensive review of the issue, Biological invaders in inland waters focuses on old and new invaders and also raises questions and opens perspectives that provide a starting point for further research. The ultimate purpose of this book is to help define a more general framework for our knowledge of invasions in fresh waters. Such a framework will be indispensable to the planning of a science-based management program.

The design of treatments for the conservation of stone in historical buildings and works of art is a challenging task, as a deep understanding of the working properties and performance of the available products and methods is required to tackle complex decay patterns.

The chapters in this book illustrate the state of the art on traditional and innovative materials and methods for stone conservation, examining current trends and future perspectives. Each of them is focused on describing the consequent phases that complement the spectrum of the conservation intervention: preliminary investigations, condition assessment, and mapping of the deterioration patterns; surface cleaning, with a specific focus on laser technology; consolidation; protection; repair mortars and grouts; and onsite assessment and monitoring of conservation treatments. The performance of the applied conservation interventions is criticized and discussed with an aim of providing the specialists with specific tools for stone conservation.  

This book intends to bridge the gap between laboratory studies and conservation interventions, by linking together the diverse scientific areas involved in the preservation of stone heritage. Different case studies are included, highlighting specific conservation challenges and their solutions in order to understand and overcome them. The aim is to guide conservators, conservation scientists and heritage stakeholders in the selection of compatible and sustainable materials and techniques for Conserving Stone Heritage.