Bioindicators

This White lipped Green Tree Frog shows unusual coloration due to the toxic nature of its environment. The area is high in Silver, Nickel and Cobalt.
The pink on the rock beneath its feet is Erythrite, a Cobalt Arsenide, which is responsible for much of the unusual coloration.
I know there has been some work done on plants as bioindicators for Gold, does anyone know of any studies on other fauna and flora? Frogs in particular are very sensitive to chemicals and toxins in their environment

This is normal colouration ( not my pic)


Cheers Wal

Yes, a whole bunch exists. You have for example a number of plants indicating copper. Copper are very toxic to growing organisms. Most plants can therefore not grow in copper rich enviroment. But a few copper resistent plants exist. These occupying areas where no other spices can live due to the copper.

It should exist some lists for indicator spices in your area.

Here is a study to learn more about indicators.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0375674279900645

Thanks, I'm finding that I use a variety of plants and animals as indicators in my explorations. Some to indicate the presence of particular minerals, others to locate groundwater courses and enrichment zones.

Cheers Wal

i use groundhogs to tell me where the ground will perk for a sand mound for construction they are a nuisance but they haven't given me a false reading in years.....
Mark

Cool, termite mounds and ant nests are pretty useful here


This is Gold bearing material brought up by ants in an enrichment zone

Cheers Wal

This one is interesting.


https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/pp-nso050914.php

At least to me.

Thanks Rick, thats a very interesting plant. I'm sure there are many more that occur in heavily mineralised areas.
What would constitute a good sample size of dried plant material for analysis?

Cheers Wal

It would be nice to develop a GMO seaweed to collect and store gold. Then you could harvest all that gold in the ocean by just collecting and drying seaweed to smelt.

Given the low concentration of Gold in Seawater i think natural chemical transport solutions in groundwater would be a better bet.
I've been looking at some examples that are running at >2g/L, the transport mechanism is as Gold Chloride and the solutions also contain Silver as Silver Sulfate.

This is the Gold enrichment zone that was indicated by the ants, it is 18" below ground level.


Cheers Wal

This is the natural groundwater transport solution I mentioned, this source was tapped using a relatively shallow bore.

A termite mound indicating the presence of Silver Halides


Cheers Wal

The presence of NJ Piney's are a bioindicator of toxic waste!

I should know... (oozes out and noms yer brainz) ;D

Alondro said:

The presence of NJ Piney's are a bioindicator of toxic waste!

I should know... (oozes out and noms yer brainz) ;D

Click to expand...

Thats just all the shallow graves paying off!

The Ironwood tree ( Poison Tree or Cooktown Ironwood) grows on heavily mineralised soils, especially those high in Sulfur and Arsenic. In some places it can be found on mineralised areas high in Chlorides or Tellurium.
It is found across Northern Australia


Cheers Wal