Luke Leslie
What effect does acid rain have on trees and soil?
Acid rain effects trees because it reacts with nutrients in the soil that the trees need, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This damages the growing fruit and weakens the roots and limbs on the trees. It exposes trees and other plants to dangers of being blown down or breaking under the weight of the snow. How does the effect of acid rain on trees and soil affect us? Acid rain can damage the crops that grow in the soil. Acid rain dissolves aluminum ions in the soil, making the trees defoliate and then die. What happens when lakes and aquatic systems become acidic? Lakes that have been acidified cannot support a large variety of life. As lakes become more acidic, craw fish and clams are the first to die, followed by various other types of fish. Many types of plankton-minute organisms that form the basis of the lake's food chain-are also effected. As more fish die, so do loons and other water birds that feed on them. The lakes do not die completely however, some life forms actually benefit from increased acidity, such as lake-bottom plans, mosses and black fly larval. How does acidic water systems affect us?The acidic water kills most of the fish living in the lakes, and the birds that feed on them. This dramatically effects the environment surrounding the lakes and the safety of the lakes for humans. Are the aquatic systems in our area being affected by acid rain? If yes, to what extent? Yes, some of the aquatic systems are being effected by acid rain, but not to a major extent. What are the danger signs of the effect of acid rain on aquatic systems? Bio-indicators are useful because they are telltale signs of impending environmental problems. Early effects of pollution initially occur at the lower levels of biological organization. Changes in genes, cells, tissues, body chemical processes, and basic body functions appear before more severe disturbances occur in populations and ecosystems. These biochemical and molecular effects can be detected as changes in enzyme levels, in structure of cell membranes and in genetic material or DNA. Changes at these sub cellular levels induce a series of structural and functional responses at the next level of biological organization. For example, complex processes such as hormonal regulation, metabolism, and immune system responses can be impaired. These effects may eventually alter the organism's ability to grow, reproduce or even survive. All these measurable changes serve as bio-indicators of pollutant stress. They provide early warning of environmental damage. How does burning fossil fuels impact acid rain? Acid rain is formed when fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are burned. It is chiefly the result of sulfur and nitrogen in the exhaust gases. Sulfur is found in the fuels themselves (particularly coal) and forms sulfuric acid in the air. Nitrogen forms nitrogen oxides in internal combustion engines and boilers. Acid deposition is concentrated downwind of areas with large concentrations of power plants. What is acid rain? Acid rain, or precipitation, comes in many forms: rain, snow, sleet, hail and fog, and as deposits of acid particles, aerosols and gases. It is formed when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine with moisture in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric acid and nitric acid. How does acid rain affect the environment? Aquatic - Fish populations are damaged in a number of ways. Acidic water disrupts their reproductive cycle. It also leaches aluminum from the soil into the water, clogging the fish's gills and altering their blood chemistry. As a lake becomes acidified, one species after another disappears. In addition to sensitive lakes, the Adirondack region includes thousands of miles of streams and rivers also sensitive to acidic deposition. Over half of these may become acidic during spring snowmelt. Forests - Sulfur and nitrogen deposition have caused adverse impacts on certain highly sensitive forest ecosystems, most notably the high-elevation, spruce-fir forests in the eastern United States. Forests are damaged because acid precipitation drains nutrients from the soil. Excess nitrogen in the air also may adversely affect tree growth. Evidence of decreased growth and dieback has been found in the Adirondacks already. Visibility - Dry acidic particles in the air lessen visibility. When winds blow from the southwest at Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks, visibility can be reduced from 50 miles to fewer than 5 miles. Materials - For materials and cultural resources, dry deposition (the deposition of particles and gases between rain events) is now considered to be more damaging to stone than wet deposition (the deposition of particles and gases during rain events). Human Health - High concentrations of fine-particulate sulfate and nitrate can enter the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, resulting in disease or even death. Metals such as mercury and cadmium from soil deposits in lakes, streams, and reservoirs can accumulate in the tissues of fish, making them toxic to humans. Metals also can be leached from the soil into reservoirs, or from old lead and copper pipes directly into home water supplies, causing serious illness. Source: http://www.an018.k12.sd.us By, Luke Leslie |