Geobotany and Biogeochemistry : An Orientation Study in Singhbhum Copper Belt, Bihar

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. A review on the earlier literature. 3. Plant distribution along the sampling belt. 4. Plant distribution along various sites. 5. Plant distribution versus soil copper. 6. Biogeochemistry. 7. Discussion. 8. Accumulator plants. Summary. References.From the foreword: "The scale of mineral exploration is now of unprecedented proportions owing to increasing demands placed upon earth's resources by the urgent needs of expanding industries and burgeoning populations. The exploration techniques were revolutionized with the advances taken place both in geophysical and geochemical methods of prospecting. Recognition of ore deposits based on plant affinities to minerals was realized and this added new dimension to plant utilities to mankind. This field of research is essentially multidisciplinary in scope and involves such diverse subjects as botany, chemistry, geology, soil science and statistics. "Botanical approach involves two different subjects: Geobotany and Biogeochemistry. These two branches are closely linked since the nature of the vegetation and its elemental contents are influenced both by the chemical composition of the soil and by the physical features of the environment. In recent years, satellite imaging and their analyses with sophisticated computer assisted techniques stimulated this branch permitting a thorough statistical treatment of raw data generated in these explorations.". …