Acid Rain Effects Research—A Status Report

Abstract

International concern about acidic precipitation as a possibly serious, widespread pollution problem with severe ecological consequences has increased the pace of acid rain research in the United States. Accompanying this increased activity has been a consonant increase in results that directly relate to clarifying many of the hypotheses that were proposed in the middle 1970s. This paper focuses on these key working hypotheses and summarizes, from the most current knowledge base, the available information on possible impacts of acid precipitation on the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. Based on the finer resolution now available, research questions are provided to help guide the testing of new and refined hypotheses.