Geobotanical prospecting
[1] Using a variety of techniques, including indicator plant identification,[2] remote sensing[3] and determining the physical and chemical condition of the botanical life in the area,[4][5] geobotanical prospecting can be used to discover different minerals.
[8] The nutrient and mineral composition of the soil heavily influences both the type and physical condition of botanical life it can support.
[10] In 2015, Stephen E. Haggerty identified Pandanus candelabrum as a botanical indicator for kimberlite pipes, a source of mined diamonds.
There were particular plants that throve on and indicated areas rich in copper, nickel, zinc, and allegedly gold though the latter has not been confirmed.
Any method that uses the overlying botanical life (in any way) as an indication of the underlying mineral composition can be considered geobotanical prospecting.
[12] These methods can include indicator plant identification,[2] remote sensing,[3] and determining the physical and chemical condition of the botanical life through laboratory techniques.
[2] For example, the Viscaria Mine in Sweden was named after the plant Silene suecica (syn.
[10] This method is particularly useful for nanoparticles i.e., particles that are too low in concentration to detect in soils but get fixed in plant tissue.
[22] Copper that is absorbed from the soil is used in various internal process such as photosynthesis, plant respiration and enzyme function.
[24] Geobotanical prospecting for copper generally takes the form of identifying indicator plants, i.e., metallophyte species.
[25] Metallophytes are plants that can tolerate high levels of heavy metals in the soils such as copper.
[26] These metallophyte species can show symptoms of copper toxicity that can be detected through geobotanical methods like remote sensing or field surveys.
[32] Geobotanical surveys for copper are most likely to consist of a variation of methods such as field observations and remote sensing (aerial photography and satellite imagery).
[3][15] After potential copper rich areas are discovered through the methods such as those listed above, further exploration techniques can be used to confirm the presence of mineral deposits.
[3] These exploration techniques can include soil sampling and geochemical analysis,[33][34] geophysical surveys and drilling.
[40] As for which plants are most likely to contain elevated levels of gold, shrubs from the genus Artemisia (sagebrush or wormwood) are recommended.
[52] This overview can be accomplished with a significantly lower investment in manpower and expensive equipment that is needed for more traditional prospecting methods such as drilling.
[3] With continual advancements in remote sensing technologies such as aerial photography and satellite imaging, it is possible to get a detailed map of an area's botany in a relatively short amount of time.
[2] This large scale fast spatial coverage increases the likelihood of locating mineral deposits and resulting in successful prospecting efforts.
[54] Mapping the vegetation of an area and determining its underlying geology, allows researchers to increase their understanding of the earths geochemical processes, i.e., the interaction between minerals and living botany.
The success of geobotanical prospecting methods depends on many factors including, local plant species diversity,[2][1] soil composition[8] and climate conditions.
[56] As land use changes and pollution could alter plant-soil interactions and element uptake patterns, results from geobotanical prospecting ventures may be incorrectly interpreted.
[5] In order to confirm results, samples need to be analyzed in laboratories which could require specialized equipment and expertise.
