{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T16:00:34Z","timestamp":1785340834468,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The increased demand for rare earth elements (REE) associated with the global transition to low-carbon energy systems requires the development of new exploration tools. Lichens, symbiotic associations of fungi and algae or cyanobacteria, represent promising biological indicators in mineral exploration owing to their visibility, substrate specificity, and environmental resilience. Through detailed field mapping and preliminary geochemical investigations in the Bayan Obo deposit, we identified that the lichen Xanthoria elegans selectively grows on REE-enriched carbonatites. This lichen contains exceptionally high REE concentrations (\u03a3REE = 3,500\u201317,000 ppm), which correlate closely with the REE contents of its substrates. It also exhibits Sr and Pb isotope compositions indistinguishable from those of its host carbonatites. The strong spatial and chemical affinity of X. elegans for carbonatites, combined with its scarcity on other lithologies, supports it as a reliable and effective field indicator in this region and its potential in analogous environments elsewhere. When integrated with remote-sensing techniques, this new biological proxy could offer a rapid, low-cost, and environmentally friendly means to detect REE-bearing carbonatites, offering a valuable complement to traditional exploration strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5382\/econgeo.5247","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,29]],"date-time":"2026-07-29T15:20:58Z","timestamp":1785338458000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["LICHEN AS A POTENTIAL EXPLORATION TOOL FOR RARE EARTH ELEMENT\u2013ENRICHED CARBONATITES"],"prefix":"10.5382","author":[{"given":"Quan","family":"Hu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"1 State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China"},{"name":"2 College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"3 MOEKLab-OBCE, PKU-Ramu Research Laboratory for Mineral Resources, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China"},{"name":"4 Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bo","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"5 Mining Research Institute of Baotou Steel (Group) Corp., Baotou 014030, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lan","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1 State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China"},{"name":"2 College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1 State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China"},{"name":"2 College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xian-Hua","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1 State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China"},{"name":"2 College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"3361","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026072911205081800_r1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1038\/s41597-024-04072-8","article-title":"A geospatial dataset of lichen key attributes in the Earth\u2019s three poles","volume":"11","author":"Alatan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Scientific Data"},{"key":"2026072911205081800_r2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Adaptation of lichens to extreme conditions","volume-title":"Plant adaptation strategies in changing environment","author":"Armstrong","year":"2017"},{"key":"2026072911205081800_r3","first-page":"104","volume-title":"Demonstration on the geological features and genesis of the Bayan Obo ore deposit:","author":"Bai","year":"1996"},{"key":"2026072911205081800_r4","article-title":"The sedimentary carbonate-hosted giant Bayan Obo REE-Fe-Nb ore deposit of Inner Mongolia, China: A cornerstone example for giant polymetallic 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