An ecosystem is a beautiful, complex network of countless plants, animals, and organisms working in tandem. Destruction to just one part of the ecosystem harms much more than just that section. Acid rain is an impediment that can disrupt this intricate structure. Acid rain can be described as any precipitate (rain, snow, hail, etc) with abnormally high acidity, usually less than a pH level of 5.6. A low pH can create toxic waters and be ruinous to forests thus inducing deterioration of crucial ecosystems.

Acid rain occurs when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide released into the atmosphere react and produce acid. Decaying plants, volcano eruptions, and lightning can release these dangerous chemicals. While it can be a naturally occurring phenomenon, the effects and severity of acid rain are heavily intensified by human actions. Most acid rain is a product of factories, power plants, automobiles, and generally the burning of fossil fuels.

When precipitation containing sulphur and nitrogen fall to Earth, the acid seeps into our soils and waters. The higher acidity (and lower pH level) caused by acid rain can be extremely harmful to aquatic life in rivers, oceans, ponds, wetlands, and so on. Plants and animals in these bodies of water may require specific pH levels in order to survive. It’s important to bear in mind: the well-being of one kind of organism doesn’t ever only affect themselves, but almost every other organism in their ecosystem. Very quickly, a decrease in phytoplankton leads to a decrease in the insect population, and thus the frog population, and so on until the entire ecosystem collapses.

Furthermore, acid rain is known to affect non-aquatic ecosystems such as massive forests. The acid strips the soil of essential nutrients while simultaneously releasing aluminum which hinders a plant’s ability to absorb water. Vegetation can be directly impacted by acidity; they may experience leaves with small holes and weakened stems thereby disrupting their growth and the growth of organisms that depend on them.

The silver lining is many countries have taken initiative and have managed to control the amount of sulphur and nitrogen released. However, there still remain areas of our world that continue to admit harmful chemicals that ultimately lead to the destruction of vastly interconnected ecosystems through disproportionate amounts of acid.

Works cited

EPA, Environmental Protection Agency,

www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-rain#:~:text=The%20ecological%20effects%20of%20acid,flo w%20into%20streams%20and%20lakes.

Jakuboski, Samantha. Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 2011,

www.nature.com/scitable/blog/green-science/toxic_rain_the_effect_of/.

Canada, Environment and Climate Change. “Government of Canada.” Canada.ca, / Gouvernement Du Canada, 27 June 2018, www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-pollution /issues/acid-rain-causes-effects.html.

Nunez, Christina. “Acid Rain.” Environment, National Geographic, 4 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/acid-rain.

EPA, Environmental Protection Agency,

www3.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/foodweb.html#:~:text=For%20example %2C%20acid%20rain%20can,birds%2C%20frogs%2C%20and%20salamanders. “How Does Acid Rain Affect Aquatic Ecosystems?” Aquatic Ecosystems & Spheres, aquaticecosystem.org/how-does-acid-rain-affect-aquatic-ecosystems/.

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