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Acid rain in the Kronau forest, Germany
Germany
last update:
10 months agoProblems
Causes of Acid rain in the Kronau forest
Causes of Acid rain in the Kronau forest - industrial emissions from factories and power plants, as well as vehicle exhaust fumes, contained high-levels of pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These substances reacted with the oxygen and moisture in the air, causing acid compounds, such as nitric acid and sulfuric acid. The polluting acids then ended up being dumped over forests by rain, sleet and snow. The acid rain caused massive devastation to trees, soils, rivers and lakes. Acidic soil has many affects on forests. If the pH is too low, the roots of many trees don't grow as deep, making them vulnerable and weak. Beech seedlings can only grow if there is a certain amount of pH. If the acidity is too high, then they can't establish themselves. Only pine trees get along better with acidity. Plants that like acidic soils include mosses and lichens. Conservationists are concerned that these species are suffering from the widespread limestone dusting. Another major reason for lime dusting is ensuring safe drinking water.
Gallery
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Timelines
2020
The trees in Kronau, Germany look much healthier but the damage is still there.
2013
The soil in Kronau forest, as in many other parts of Germany, is too acidic because of acid rain that fell decades ago. Limestone is basically calcium, although the particular lime or chalk used here (known as dolomite) has a high magnesium content too. Limestone is a strong alkaline and it's being spread out over this pine and beach forest to help neutralize the acidic soil. It's part of an extensive limestone dusting project aimed at making the forests in this part of Germany healthier. The science behind it is quite simple - but not without controversy.
1986
Citizen lobbies have prodded the government to enact new laws to shield forest areas from pollution. New power plants are equipped with multimillion-dollar gas filters that cut sulphur dioxide emissions by one-third. Lead-free gasoline introduced for new cars with catalytic converters to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. The foresters have found that they can help some stricken areas to recuperate through doses of fertilizer and lime. They breed new trees that resist modern pollutants, and diversify the mix of trees in the Black Forest so that if one species dies others will survive. Recognizing that West German forests are buffeted by toxins from neighboring countries, the government is seeking to achieve continent-wide standards that cut noxious emissions.
1984
Almost half of the trees in the nearby Black Forest showed signs of damage and images of blackened skeletal trees helped fuel the environmental movement. Limestone is a strong alkaline and it's being spread out over the forest to help neutralize the acidic soil
1970
The first signs of damage were spotted in older silver firs during the mid-1970s, but the blight soon spread to different trees and other regions. Initially, scientists and foresters speculated that the stricken trees might simply have been weakened by hot, dry summers. But over the years, most experts have identified accumulated pollution from cars, industry and power plants as the chief culprit.