Effects of Acid Rain on Trees Research Assignment (Essay Sample)

Effects of Acid Rain on Trees
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Over the years, scientists, foresters and others around the world have attributed some detrimental effects on trees to be a resultant effect of acid rain impacts. Rain around the world has always been acidic, this is because of the presence of carbonic acid formed by the reaction between water and carbon dioxide (Singh & Agrawal, 2007). The cause for alarm is the sustained increase in acidity of rain that began after the onset of industrial revolution (Kulp, 1990). According to Lain (2003), acid rain refers to various ways through which acids in the atmosphere are deposited on the earth’s surface. It is measured using the scale of “pH” where a unit of pH represents a tenfold difference in acid concentration.
Singh and Agrawal (2007) identified Sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen and ozone as the primary causes of acid rain. They identified the combustion of fossil fuels as the origin of these gases. Formation of acid rain involves the chemical reactions of SO2, NOX and O3. Reactions involving O3, result in formation of acetic acid that contributes about 5-20% of acidity in acid rain. Reactions involving sulphur, result in formation of Sulphuric acid while Nitric acid is formed by oxidation of nitrogen in the presence of water during lightning storms.
When acid rain falls on trees, some of it will percolate into the soil while the rest flows on the surface to join streams and rivers. The acid rain that percolates into the soil may fully or partially be neutralised by the soil. This neutralization of acid rain by the soil is known as buffering and it is dependent on the composition and thickness of the soil (Park, 2013). If the soil has a weak buffering capacity, then the impacts of acid rain will be realised. These impacts occur as a result of the combination of acid rain effects and other environmental stressors. In as much as acid rain effects do not kill the trees directly, they cause damages that are eventually detrimental. It has been noticed that damages occur on the leaves thus weakening the trees. Acid rain has also been known to limit the tree’s access to nutrients by dissolving them. It has also been established that acid rain releases toxic substances such as Aluminium to the soil which harm trees (Lane 2003).
Acid rain being a major environmental concern, a number of control strategies have been established over the years. Utilization of clean energy sources and fossil fuels that burn more efficiently has been adopted to reduce greenhouse gases emission. With the recent technological advancements, scrubbers in the chimneys of power plants have been introduced to reduce amount of sulphur released to the atmosphere. Policies have also been enacted that ensure vehicles adhere to strict emission standards. Scientists are optimistic that the application of these, among other effective measures will help solve the problem of acid rain (Satake, 2012).
Many groups and agencies researching acid rain around the world noted its ecological effects mainly on surface water and soil. Researchers are aware that slow growth and death in forests can be caused by acid rain (Park, 2013). The continuous deposition of acid rain has weakened the ability of soils to ...