Assessment of multiscale variability and influencing factors of humidity environment in cave temples of Wudang Mountain, China

Abstract

Cave temples located in wilderness environments are frequently neglected in terms of scientific precautions and conservation efforts, leading to irreversible deterioration and becoming a new challenge in cultural heritage preservation. The cave temples in Wudang Mountain, located in the humid climate zone of southern China, are selected as a case study for their significant artistic value as a world-heritage site. Unsuitable humidity conditions contribute to their deterioration, underscoring the need to understand humidity variations in complex environments. To address this issue, we have established a weather station for long-term, comprehensive monitoring and statistical analysis of various environmental parameters at the cave temples, including relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, light intensity, and rainfall. Utilizing multi-species wavelet analysis, the Sequential Mann-Kendall test (SQMK), and Convergent Cross Mapping (CCM) methods, we have revealed the multiscale characteristics of humidity variations and their intricate relationships with environmental factors. We systematically examined the factors driving high humidity in cave environments, the impacts of multiple environmental parameters on humidity fluctuations, and proposed humidity management strategies tailored for the rock temples. This study contributes to the control and prediction of humidity levels in Wudang Mountain cave temples. The application of multiscale dynamic analysis and multifactor coupling analysis has provided new perspectives for preserving similar cultural heritage sites in wilderness environments.