THERE'S GOLD IN THOSE TREES!

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but gold just might. The roots of eucalyptus trees have been found to tap into deeply buried deposits of the precious metal, absorbing and then shuttling particles upward to their leaves. “We were astounded at the capability of the eucalyptus trees to bring up gold from the equivalent [height] of a 10-story building,” Australian geochemist Melvyn Lintern tellsLiveScience.com. (click below to read more)
The study examined leaves, twigs, and bark from trees in two sites in Australia known for their underground stores of gold. One previous explanation held that the leaves could have been dusted with gold as a side effect of drilling. However, by using a special X-ray probe, researchers confirmed that the particles were located within the plant’s vascular tissue, at an average concentration of about 46 parts per billion; greenhouse experiments also found that eucalyptus saplings grown in soil dosed with gold showed the same effects. The gold’s presence in the leaves may be evidence that the eucalyptus is trying to rid itself of the toxic heavy metal by transporting it to its extremities. Researchers are optimistic that the findings could offer a less expensive and excavation-free way for mineral exploration companies to prospect.