Abstract

The amount of Mercury (Hg) in fish is higher than the threshold limit set by the European Union in all Swedish lakes. Even though the primary source of Hg is airborne emissions from fossil fuels, forestry has a minor but significant impact because some forestry processes assist move and alter Hg, raising Hg burdens in aquatic ecosystems further down the food chain. Climate change is simultaneously increasing the pressure on trees to provide biomass as a replacement for fossil fuels. Therefore, when it comes to how to deal with the issue of forestry’s effects on Hg in aquatic ecosystems while still securing other ecosystem services, decision-makers are faced with a complex scenario, a “wicked conundrum.”