Acid Rain

Brown spots can appear, or leaves and needles die. When the tree's leaves die so does their ability to produce food through photosynthesis. Weakened trees are more vulnerable to disease, and death. 25% of the trees in Europe, and 53% of the trees in the Czech Republic have suffered from severe defoliation (Blair 143). Sometimes acid rain runs through soils and allows dangerous ingredients such as aluminum or mercury to escape. Aluminum and mercury often run through streams and often pollute other parts of the earth. Agriculture is affected by acid rain in many ways. Not only agriculture is affected but animals and surface water is influenced.
             If acid rain is dangerous to one species, it is dangerous to their whole ecosystem. If the population of one animal suffers from acid rain, the species that feeds off of them will suffer as well (Utexas). Clams, mayfly, snails, and songbirds are all examples of species suffering from acid rain (Encarta). It even affects eggs of unborn offspring. Snow and rain are highly acidic. In spring when snow melts acid goes rushing into our lakes and streams. In northeast United States, and southeast Canada some lakes have up to ten times the amount of acid in them than what should be there (Encarta). These chemicals have a serious affect on the amount of healthy fish. Acid rain makes lakes inhabitable for fish causing the population of salmon and trout to drop (Blair 142). In Sweden up to 10,000 lakes have been polluted from acid rain; specifically the mercury released from the soil during a rainfall (Utexas). Soil, water, and plant life are damaged as well as human beings and their monumental structures.
             Finally, acid rain is also damaging to human beings. It reacts with everything that is touched. Famous monumental structures, buildings, and automobiles corrode at a faster rate than natural. Acid rain is accelerates the natural wear of buildings and statues (Encarta).