Chinese scientists discover link between lichen growth and potentially untapped rare-earth-bearing carbonates and mineral deposits
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenChao Kongin BeijingPublished: 10:00pm, 23 Aug 2026Next time you spot a vivid orange-yellow crust spreading across a rock in your garden, on a country wall or along a hiking trail, take a closer look – you might be standing on a fortune.
Chinese scientists have spent decades trying to identify biological indicators that could help locate mineral deposits.
“This is the second time Chinese scientists have discovered a similar indicator – the first was copper grass in the 1950s – and both are original scientific discoveries in mineral exploration,” said Professor Li Yang of Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences on August 17.
The study, titled “Lichen as a Potential Exploration Tool for Rare Earth Element – Enriched Carbonatites”, was published in the peer-reviewed journal Economic Geology on July 27.
