Mineral Resources Program

The Role of Mineral Resource Assessments in Ecological Stewardship

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic code. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 96-63

1996

U.S. Geological Survey
National Center, MS 954
Reston, VA 20192

ABSTRACT

Bedrock geology and mineral resource assessments can provide important information for ecologically based stewardship of land and water. Combining information derived from mineral resource assessments and geoenvironmental mineral deposit models provides a means to rapidly screen a large region for potential for mineral concentrations, to assess the environmental risk associated with mineralized bedrock and with human disturbances of mineralized bedrock, and to establish priorities for further studies.

Role of Bedrock Geology and Mineral Resources in Ecosystems

Example of Screening Process in the Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere Region

Summary

References Cited