Geological Survey of Sweden

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Aircraft flying over fields, forests and sea

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries are among the sectors that can benefit from the information SGU produces on bedrock, superficial deposits and groundwater.
Photo: Anders Damberg

Geology affects the conditions for plant and animal life, and hence the basic framework for agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

The properties of a soil are of decisive importance for farming and forestry. They affect such things as nutrient levels, water retention capacity and susceptibility to acidification, and also how great a risk there is of nutrients and pesticides being leached into ground or surface waters.

Fishing, too, is dependent on geological conditions. The character of the seabed influences the fishing methods that can be used, and is a critical factor when it comes to protecting the young of different species and their nursery grounds.

Geological information for agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Geological information from SGU can tell us about the distribution and properties of superficial (Quaternary) deposits, concentrations of different substances in soil, levels and chemical characteristics of groundwater and its patterns of flow in superficial deposits and bedrock, the geology of the seabed, and much more besides.

Geological Survey of Sweden, Box 670, 751 28 Uppsala, tel: +46 18 17 90 00, fax: +46 17 92 10, e-mail: sgu@sgu.se