Creating of a xylarium and herbarium with a preventive conservation profile: review of procedures and materials

ABSTRACT

The significance of plant material sample deposits extends beyond the scientific community, with various industries, historians, and law enforcement agencies increasingly relying on them. Preserving global xylariums and herbariums is essential for accessing centuries of data, species, and samples that may no longer exist in their original locations or may be extinct. While maintaining these archives is crucial, it is equally important to ensure proper collection, structure, organization, and classification of new xylariums and herbariums. In that order, a preventive conservation approach is essential to ensure future research by defining actions, materials, and uses to prevent degradative factors and potential harm to the collection This guarantees future accessibility to valuable samples and the knowledge they offer. The paper explores key factors in xylarium and herbarium construction and preservation, including sample drying, pest control, preventive measures, archival materials, facilities, and handling procedures.

KEYWORDS:

• Conservation
• degradation
• herbarium
• preservation
• wood
• xylarium

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) for the PhD grant (UI/BD/151009/2021) for José Luis Amorim Silva and for funding the Strategic Projects UID/EAT/0622/2016 of CITAR – Research Center for the Science and Technology of the Arts, Porto, Portugal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [PhD grant (UI/BD/151009/2021)].

Notes on contributors

José Luís Silva

José Luis Silva commenced his higher education journey in 2000, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Arts, Communication, and Design, specialising in Landscape Design at Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo. Subsequently, from 2010 to 2015, he pursued both a Graduate and Master's degree in Conservation-Restoration at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Oporto. His focus was on conservation-restoration procedures, specifically addressing the treatment of polychromed wooden sculptures, which also involved a case study on wood identification in artworks. Currently, he is undertaking his PhD, supported by a scholarship, with a thesis titled ‘Scientific identification of the woods used in Portuguese sculpture from the 16th to the 19th centuries: Contribution to the knowledge of techniques, materials, and environmental factors’. José initiated his professional career as a conservator-restorer specialising in wood in 2007, gaining experience with various companies. Presently, he serves as the CEO at Cádmio – Decorative Systems, a conservation, restoration, and decorative arts company. His primary research focus lies in the conservation of wooden artworks, wood technology, and wood identification adapted to art objects.

Rui Bordalo

Rui Bordalo graduated in Conservation and Restoration in 2003 and earned his Ph.D. in Heritage Science from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, in 2011. His doctoral thesis focused on the consequences of laser cleaning of oil paintings and the molecular changes in pigments induced by laser. He taught at the Universidade Portucalense from 2009 to 2012 before pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship at the HERCULES Laboratory with a thesis title ‘19th-century artistic materials in Portugal: analytical and statistical characterization’ from 2013 to 2016. He has experience using various analytical techniques (XRF, SEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, FORS, colorimetry, and microscopy) while developing non-destructive in-situ analytical methodologies. Currently, he is an integrated member of CITAR, where he is conducting research on a project focused on the study and conservation of materials in the works of Soares dos Reis. In this field, he holds a postgraduate degree in Computer Science Applied to Organizations (specialising in Information Systems Development) from ISCTE. In addition to his teaching experience, he has supervised several dissertations and theses in his areas of expertise, including four master's and two doctoral theses (one as the main supervisor and another as co-supervisor).

José Pissarra

José Pissarra graduated in Biology – Scientific Branch – by the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP). His research is focused on the study of cell differentiation using electron microscopy and obtained a doctoral degree in Biology by the University of Porto in 1993. Presently, being retired, he is invited Associate professor at the Department of Biology, FCUP, and an integrated researcher at GreenUPorto. He has maintained regular activity of theoretical and practical teaching and has been responsible for creating several undergraduate and master courses. He has participated in jury boards being principal opponent in numerous MSc and PhD examinations, as well as supervisor of MSc dissertations and PhD thesis. He has given numerous lectures in the biology area in various institutions. He was member of the Scientific Border (2018–2022), Director of the Master in Cell and Molecular Biology (2011–2016), President of the Department of Botany – FCUP (2006–2009), member of the Scientific Committee – FCUP (2009, 2010), member of the Evaluation Coordinating Council – FCUP (2008–2010), Director of the Master in Biology (2007–2010) and coordinator of the Master in Biology for Teaching (2002–2006).

Paloma de Palacios

Paloma de Palacios, PhD in Forest Engineering, Senior Lecturer at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Her lines of research focus on wood anatomy and identification, wood physics, physical and mechanical characterisation of wood and wood-based products and the application of artificial neural networks to wood identification, and processes of the wood industry. She has participated in numerous research and technology transfer projects and published more than 60 articles in JCR journals. Her research group is currently working with researchers specialising in artificial intelligence to develop an app to identify wood using photos taken with a lens attached to a smartphone, intended for use to monitor the trade in timber and protected species and preserve cultural heritage.

Cristiana Vieira

Cristiana Vieira with a degree and Ph.D. in biology from the Faculty of Sciences, Oporto University, her main focus is the study of the environmental determination of plant communities to define ecological indicators of the conservation status of habitats, especially those related to aquatic ecosystems (rivers and bogs). I also participate in several projects related to conservation, improvement and restoration of habitats and sustainable use of natural values and water resources. Another purpose of the research is to characterise the ecology and chorology of the species of the Iberian and European Red Lists to contribute with exact information for conservation measures. Simultaneously, I am responsible for the curatorship of University of Porto Herbarium (PO).

Eduarda Vieira

Eduarda Vieira, PT. Assistant Professor at Escola das Artes, Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Director of CITAR – Centre for Science and Technologies of Arts, Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She holds a degree in History – specialisation in Archaeology (U. Livre – 1985), two Post graduations in Museum Studies (Portugal and Czech Republic), a Master degree in Restoration of Architectural and Landscape Heritage (U.Évora 2003) and a PhD Conservation and Restoration of Historic and Artistic Heritage (UPV-Spain 2009). She coordinates the PhD programme in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage – School of Arts – Portuguese Catholic University. Her main research interests are: Sustainable Conservation of Cultural Heritage (Green Conservation; Peripheral conservation outdoors and indoors; Risk Assessment and Management (Biodeterioration); Decorative Coatings integrated in architecture; Conservation of Public Art (inorganic supports) and Documentation and Conservation of Contemporary Art (Green Conservation; Peripheral conservation outdoors and indoors; Risk Assessment and Management (Biodeterioration); Decorative Coatings integrated in architecture; Conservation of Public Art (inorganic supports) and Documentation and Conservation of Contemporary Art). She has a wide experience of working with interdisciplinary teams and aptitude to investigate in cross-border scientific areas such those that are part of CITAR mission. She also keeps research ties with Spain, Netherlands, Belgium and Brazil. She also has editorial experience with cultural heritage studies and conservation journals.