Bedrock and Quaternary sediment geochemistry and biodiversity in Eastern Fennoscandia and Estonia

Abstract. Crystalline bedrock and Quaternary sediments are the parent materials for soil, which is a substrate for plant roots and also a supplier of nutrients. Through interactions within the bedrock–soil–plant–animal–hu-man beings system, bedrock geology and geochemistry influence all forms of life on the planet. There are 11 major elements or macronutrients that are nutritionally essential for plants and animals in constructing and maintaining cells and tissues, and up to 43 trace elements or micronutrients involved in the regulation of metabolic processes. Element concentrations in soils reflect those of parent rocks, but for healthy growth and development of plant and animal tissues there are very strict constraints on trace element concentrations. Chemical analysis of different organic materials shows that all forms of life, marine and terrestrial plants and animals, and bacteria consist of comparabl