Effects of acid precipitation.

Acid precipitation, including dry deposition, is recognized as coming from pollution-caused strong acid precursors that result from the burning of fossil fuels. Recent studies suggest that ecosystems susceptible to acidification occur over the entire length of the Appalachian Mountains and certain other regions of the eastern U.S. This paper reviews a short-term assessment by the EPA to survey the extent of the effects of acid precipitation on the environment, and focuses on New York state. Data from Pennsylvania and Virginia show effects of streams. Studies of the impacts of acid rain on crop yields and model forest ecosystems are generic and apply to no particular state or region.(KRM)