Analysis of Biodeterioration on Ancestral Halls with Different Visitor Flow Rates Using Amplicon Sequencing and Conventional Culturing Methods_18S Amplicon

Wooden buildings are facing biodeterioration because of natural weathering. Ancestral halls are traditional Chinese wooden architecture with high artistic value. The research analyzed nine ancestral halls with different visitor flow rates in Guangdong Province under subtropical monsoon climates. With amplicon sequencing and conventional culturing methods, a common core harmful microorganism group which are proven to be capable of degrading cellulose and lignin was found, and some of them originated from human activities, including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Paenibacillus, Acinetobacter, Toxicocladosporium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, and Epicoccum, allowing us to apply unified antimicrobial methods to different ancestral halls in Guangdong Province. Additionally, the microbial community is similar between damaged and undamaged points, predicting the potential risk of taking paint coating as the only method for antimicrobial preservation. Hence, we evaluated the effect of four representative biocides and determined the feasibility of low-concentration Isothiazolinone. This research adds significant reference for the protection of wooden buildings.