Climate Change and Its Effects on Indoor Pests (Insect and Fungi) in Museums

Abstract

Climate change not only affects the biodiversity of natural habitats, but also the flora and fauna within cities. An increase in average temperature and changing precipitation, but additionally extreme weather events with heat waves and flooding, are forecast. The climate in our cities and, thus, also inside buildings is influenced by the changing outdoor climate and urban heat islands. A further challenge to ecosystems is the introduction of new species (neobiota). If these species are pests, they can cause damage to stored products and materials. Much cultural heritage is within buildings, so changes in the indoor climate also affect pests (insect and fungi) within the museums, storage depositories, libraries, and historic properties. This paper reviews the literature and presents an overview of these complex interactions between the outdoor climate, indoor climate, and pests in museums. Recent studies have examined the direct impact of climate on buildings and collections. The warming of indoor climates and an increased frequency or intensity of extreme weather events are two important drivers affecting indoor pests such as insects and fungi, which can severely damage collections. Increases in activity and new species are found, e.g., the tropical grey silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudatum has been present in many museums in recent years benefitting from increased indoor temperatures.

Microclimate Analysis of Outdoor Showcases in Tropical Climate—Two Case Studies in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

“…It should be noted that high humidity levels constitute a habitat potentially favourable for the development of moulds, algae, and other pests [11,43,44]. Although dampness is a necessary requisite, the daily temperature cycles reach high levels and determine a crude pasteurization process [45].…”

Identification and Spread of the Ghost Silverfish (Ctenolepisma calvum) among Museums and Homes in Europe

“…As of yet, there are no measurements from museums to define a suitable microclimate for this species. Microclimate monitoring from the Kindermuseum, Schönbrunn, where there is a high catch rate (Figure 6), derives from a MostraLog data logger (part of a larger project on climate and museum pests [55,56]). This shows stable and warm temperatures (~20 • C) in the museum.…”

“…This gives a hint of how the changes in activity and indoor climate can also affect small pests such as silverfish. Climate change that brings increasing warmth is likely to alter insect populations and is particularly relevant to museums [55,[72][73][74], and it may be responsible for some increases in population. In the case of Zygentoma [3], they show a widening spread, particularly the northward movement of C. longicaudatum.…”

Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on the Biodeterioration Risk in Historical Buildings of the Mediterranean Area: The State Archives of Palermo

“…Indeed, the increasing occurrence of extreme events due to ongoing global warming, as already projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the Fifth and then reconfirmed in the Sixth Assessment Reports [21,22], may further reduce the durability of climate-vulnerable objects [5,23,24]. Moreover, as higher temperatures can enhance biodeterioration risks being responsible for the migration and adaptation of new species of biodeteriogens [25], global warming can increase the deterioration risks related to biodeteriogens [17,25].…”