Abstract

RESENDIZ MARTINEZ, José Francisco; OLVERA CORONEL, Lilia Patricia; VAZQUEZ SILVA, Luis  and  NIETO DE PASCUAL POLA, Cecilia. Wooden species and pathogenic agents of the altarpiece of the kings of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico city. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.19, pp.8-19. ISSN 2007-1132.

The Altar of the Kings is a wooden masterpiece built between the years of 1718 to 1737, and it belongs to the Metropolitan Chatedral of Mexico City; it has been considered cultural heritage and a summit sample of its kind, as well as an example for altarpieces built later in the rest of the country. However, through the years it suffered great deterioration, which provoked many requests to restore it. The project to accomplish this task started at the end of 2002 and finished in 2006, time in which the actual study was made, with the objectives of finding the deterioration agents, the wooen species with wich the piece was made as well as its moisture content. Therefore, eight points were chosen which exhibited damage by fungi or insects; from each one of them, 1 to 2 cm wooden square samples were taken. Results reveal the presence of a fungus of the Dematiaceae family as the cause of wood decay that becomes apparent through stains; its attacks are very frequent but it does not change its chemical properties. Calymmaderus sp. was the most important xylophagous insect. During the sampling process, no more new holes were found. The wooden species used in making the alterpiece belong to the Cupressus and Pinus genera.

Keywords : Wood deterioration; Calymmaderus sp.; Metropolitan Cathedral; wood species; Hyphomycetes; Alterpiece of the Kings.

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