An ecosystem is composed of all living things like plants, animals, and other organisms. Thus it is the community of living beings along with their environment. If something like acid rain harms one of its parts, it has an impact on others too. Thus let’s move ahead to explore the effects of acid rain on the ecosystem.
But before moving ahead, let’s understand what we meant by acid rain.
What is Acid Rain?
Acid rain is a broad term that includes rain in the form of precipitation with acidic components. It can be sulphuric or nitric acid that falls to the ground from the atmosphere in rain form. Not only rain, but it also includes snow, fog, hail, or even acidic dust.
Now it’s time to move to our next section to know the effects of acid rain on our ecosystem.
Effects of Acid Rain on Different Parts of Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a bunch of different plants, animals, and other living things. Acid rain can harm the whole ecosystem. Let’s see how:
Effects of Acid Rain on the Aquatic Environment
One can see the effects of acid rain on aquatic environments like sea, streams, or rivers. When acid rain flows through the soil, acidic rainwater leaches the aluminum from soil clay particles. These particles then flow into the stream and harm aquatic wildlife.
Effects of Acid Rain on Plants
As the acid rain removes minerals and nutrients from the soil, leaves of plants and trees become brown and die.
Buffering Capacity
- Affects the buffering capacity of the soil
- Where soil is thin, acid and aluminum can accumulate in the soil
Episodic Acidification
- Melting snow and heavy rain downpours brings a great amount of acidic deposition
- Injuries variety of species due to the high level of acid
Nitrogen Pollution
- Acid rain contains nitrogen, which has a destructive impact on the ecosystem
- Increases nitrogen pollution in the environment
Harmful Effects on Materials
When acid rain particles fall on the Earth, they can affect statues, buildings, and other human-made materials. These particles can make metal and paint to deteriorate quickly.
Impacts of Acid Rain on Human Health
Due to acid rain particles like SO2 and NOX trapped in the air, inhaling these particles can have adverse effects on the lungs. People can have chronic diseases like asthma, heart attack, lung infection, etc.
So these were some major effects of acid rain on our ecosystem. If you have to complete an assignment on the same topic, you can get instant online assignment help from us.