Abstract
The genesis of calcium oxalate patinas on stone monuments gives rise to controversial opinions. One of the proposed hypotheses links this phenomenon to the past presence of lichens on the exposed surfaces of monuments. However, the growth of a biological species cannot occur if environmental conditions are not compatible with its autoecology. Analysis of variations of the environmental factors that can act as «limiting factors» shows that in most monuments, the various exposures are not always compatible with biological growth. The environmental factor that seems to be the most limiting is the amount of surface water that is frequently below the range of tolerance of even the most xerophylous species. In the case of Trajan's column in Rome, the distribution of oxalate layers shows an opposite trend with respect to what we would expect for lichen colonization. Presently other kinds of biological colonization cannot be excluded.
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