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