Discovering the causes, consequences, and implications of acid rain and atmospheric deposition

Most forest industry personnel concerned with environmental issues are located at mill sites, where the major focus of their concern is with emissions and regulations rather than with deposition and its effects. The forest products industry needs to think of itself as a net receiver rather than a primary emitter of air pollution, acid rain, and atmospheric deposition. A shift in focus to include research on the chemistry of atmospheric deposition and both beneficial and detrimental effects on forest productivity and water quality is recommended. An attempt is made to summarize some important principles concerning air pollution, acid deposition, and atmospheric deposition and their effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The effects on water quality, agricultural crops, forests, and soils are examined. Recent federal coordinated research programs that have been developed on the biological and atmospheric aspects of the acid deposition problem are presented.