Red Spruce In Vermont
“Acid Rain.” It is a term that has been imbedded in us for many decades and yet still it is an issue today. It is a term that was coined in 1872 by Dr. Robert Angus Smith, an English chemist. (Mello 21). He noticed that the air in the cities contained many different contaminates including sulfuric acid, which he believed to be the cause of corroding metals and certain types of damage to plants. His colleagues ignored his studies and findings and it wasn’t until 100 years later that scientists started to explore this serious problem.There are many different pollutants that incur the effects of acid deposition. Primary pollutants are emitted directly into the atmosphere from sources such as power plants, automobiles, factories, and even residential furnaces. These primary pollutants include sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NO). When nitrogen and sulfur combine with oxygen, a very reactive element in our atmosphere, secondary pollutants are formed. These include photochemical oxidants, such as ozone, and acid deposition. Acid rain forms when nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide react with oxidants and moisture in
the atmosphere to form nitric acid and sulfuric acid. These acids are made of hydrogen and nitrate or sulfate ions (Dept of Agriculture 8). These acids can reach the earth as precipitation in the form of rain, other pollutants, contribute to forest damage in North America? And 3) On a stand or regional basis, what is the dynamic relationship between air pollutants and forest damage. The research results were then given to the EPA policy makers, which prompted the development of Regional Research Cooperatives. This was the beginning of exploring the issues on a local and practical basis. Each cooperative reports results of research within their own areas and these results are given to the FRP. This gives them accurate and pertinent information about specific areas that need help. The next step was the introduction of The Clean Air Act. This act set a standard to be followed regarding harmful emissions from sources like coal-burning power plants. Presumably, the standards set would reduce the harmful effects of pollution. While sulfur emissions are down as a result, NO has stayed relatively the same. As of 1996, there were no federal standards for sulfate deposition in Vermon! Red Spruce trees thrive in inhospitable climate zones in the Northeast, often growing in pure stands at elevations exceeding 3,000 ft above sea level. Also, these trees are capable of surviving for 400 years. This is why when scientists began noticing the spruce struggling to survive they began to look into why a tree that could withstand so much are seemingly under “attack”. In 1982, Dr. Hubert w. Vogelmann, chairman of the Department of Botany at UVM, reported the red spruces were dying in the virgin forests on Camel’s Hump. This prompted extensive research into why this might be happening. Red Spruce live at high elevations and are capable of surviving in thin, rocky soil with an already high acidity. At the elevation in wh
Some topics in this essay:
Red Spruce,
Smith English,
Vermont Grant,
York England,
Dept Agriculture,
North America,
Canada York,
Air Act,
Precipitation Act,
Research Cooperatives,
red spruce,
acid deposition,
weather conditions,
sulfate deposition,
power plants,
forest damage,
acid rain,
decline red spruce,
primary pollutants,
acid precipitation,
lower elevations,
wet sulfate deposition,
forest damage north,
damage north america,
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Approximate Word count = 1306
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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