How does acid rain

negatively affect the

surrounding ecosystem?

• Acid rain is an extremely destructive form of pollution, and the environment suffers from its effects. Forests, trees, lakes, animals, and plants suffer from acid rain.

Forests

•Trees are important natural resources.

•They provide timber, regulate local climate, and forests are homes to wildlife.

• Acid rain can make trees lose their leaves or needles.

•The needles and leaves of the trees turn brown and fall off.

•Trees can also suffer from stunted growth.

• Makes them vulnerable to weather, disease, and insects.

•All this happens when trees absorb soil that has come into contact with acid rain.

•The soil poisons the tree with toxic substances that the rain has deposited into it.

Forests damaged by acidic rain

Lakes

• Food chains are disrupted.

•Single-celled plants and algae in lakes suffer from the increased acid levels.

•Fish die due to lack of food.

•Birds can die from eating toxic fish and insects.

•Acid rain can even kill fish before they are born.

•The eggs come into contact with the acid and the entire generation can be killed.

•They can also become sick.

•They may suffer from stunted growth or lose their ability to reproduce.

Since rain travels over long distances in clouds, acid rain is a global problem