Effects Of Rain Research Articles

Age-specific effects of density and weather on body condition and birth rates in a large herbivore, the Przewalski’s horse

Reproduction in young females can show a particularly sensitive response to environmental challenges, although empirical support from individual-based long-term studies is scarce. Based on a 20-year data set from a free-roaming Przewalski’s horse population (Equus ferus przewalskii), we studied effects of large-herbivore density (horses + cattle) and weather conditions experienced during different life stages on females’ annual birth rates. Foaling probability was very low in 2-year-olds, reaching maximum values in 5 to 10-year-olds, followed by a decrease in older females indicating reproductive senescence. Mother’s previous reproductive investment affected her current reproduction; young and old mothers (as opposed to middle-aged ones), which had nursed a foal for at least 60 days during the previous year, reproduced with a lower probability. Foaling probability and body condition of young females were lower when large-herbivore density was high. Reproduction was also influenced by interactive weather effects during different life stages. Low late-summer precipitation during the females’ year of birth was associated with a pronounced decrease in foaling probability in response to harsh late-winter temperatures prior to the mating season. In turn, increased amounts of late-summer rain during this early age together with more late-summer rain during the females’ current pregnancy led to an increased reproductive probability in 2–3-year-olds. These results were corroborated by the ameliorating effects of late-summer rain on body condition in such females. In conclusion, our findings highlight the interactive importance of weather conditions experienced during early life, and of density and weather during current pregnancy on foaling probability, particularly in young females.

Recovery kinetics of epiphytic lichen diversity after dieback during a continuously wet season

Epiphytic lichens are considered sensitive indicators of environmental change. Excess water is known to depress their photosynthesis, but the effect of long-lasting rain on species richness of epiphytic lichens is rarely reported. By annually repeated records of macrolichen species richness on tree trunks over a period of 33 years that included one long rainy season in year 2000, a strong decline in macrolichen richness on tree trunks was detected after the unusually wet autumn. Afterwards, the lichen richness slowly recovered, but had not yet fully recovered 19 years after the dieback. Thereby, long rainy periods can cause lasting depression in epiphytic lichen richness, and continuous rain should be considered a possible threat to lichens in regions like northern Europe where global change predicts enhanced rainfall frequency.

Effects of Acid Rain on Forest Organisms and Countermeasures

Acid rain acidifies the surface water and affects the life on the surface. Acid rain seeps into the soil, forest soil is degraded, tree growth is seriously harmed, and forests will die in a large area. Acid rain can damage ecosystems by killing populations, eliminating food sources, and reducing biodiversity. At present, forests in many parts of the world are facing serious harm caused by acid rain, so the purpose of this paper is to let people know about acid rain and its harm, and raise the awareness of forest protection. This paper summarizes the effects of acid rain on forest organisms and the harm to the whole ecosystem. Firstly, the formation process and causes of acid rain are introduced. Secondly, the paper focuses on the effects of acid rain on forest organisms, including microorganisms, plants and animals, and then on the whole ecosystem. Finally, the paper puts forward some measures to solve the human causes of acid rain formation. The paper discusses three aspects: reducing pollution (reducing emissions from heavy chemical industry, etc.), using plants (planting trees) and technological input (developing utilizable clean energy and reducing emissions from automobile exhaust). This paper hopes to find better and more useful ways to solve the occurrence of acid rain and the related harm to forests, and hopes to raise the protection awareness of the government and people.

Research on the Effects of Acid Rain and Improvement Measures

With the continuous development of industrial production, transportation and people's life all over the world, acid rain has become one of the major problems that seriously threaten the world environment. In this paper, the causes of acid rain, the effects of acid rain and the measures to control acid rain are studied. The influencing factors and forming process of acid rain were further expounded. Acid rain also affects buildings, animals, plants and humans to varying degrees - acid rain can cause different degrees of corrosion to buildings; Affecting the reproductive system of aquatic plants and causing egg defects in birds; It affects plant structure, physiological function and living environment. Therefore, in order to deal with acid rain, countries have implemented corresponding measures. This paper mainly introduces the Acid Rain Program (ARP) of the United States and the tax policy of Sweden. The treatment of acid rain is definitely not a simple thing, and people need to further explore more efficient and concise methods in the future. The purpose of this study is to clarify the serious impact of acid rain on society, economy and human life, and to arouse people's attention to acid rain and environmental protection.

Effect of Acid Rain on Human Living Environment and Human Self

There have been countless scientists studying acid rain from the 1970s to the present, and of course, there have been reviews and studies of this kind, but these studies are not enough. The influence of acid rain on human beings, as well as the environment, is discussed in this paper. First, the production of acid rain is caused by a mix of human activities, as well as natural processes. Human activities like burning fossil fuels, industrial emissions, and transportation release pollutants such as sulfuric and nitric acid, as well as acid rain, are produced when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the atmosphere combine with water vapor and oxygen. Acid rain creates a large bad effect to the ecosystem. It harms water bodies, soils, vegetation, and biodiversity. In addition, acid rain poses a threat to human health. Pollutants in acid rain can irritate the respiratory system and cause respiratory diseases. To combat the problem of acid rain, both individual and government efforts are critical. In the future, people need to develop technology and do more research to solve acid rain. The meaning of the essay is to let more people know about acid rain, how acid rain affect the world, and what human can do to solve acid rain.

Impact of Simulated Acid Rain on Soil Base Cations Dissolution between Eucalyptus Pure Plantations and Eucalyptus–Castanopsis fissa Mixed Plantations

The soils of Eucalyptus pure plantations and Eucalyptus–Castanopsis fissa mixed plantations were studied using soil column leaching experiments with acid solutions to mimic the effects of acid rain on the soils. This helped researchers learn more about how soil base ions react to acid deposition and their ability to protect the soil from excessive acidity under pure and mixed-species plantations. The results showed that acid rain leaching increased the leaching loss, desorption, and desorption rate of soil base ions while decreasing the soil pH value, adsorption, and adsorption rate of soil base ions. The soil pH value and the leaching loss ranges of K+, Na+, and Mg2+ were all greater in the pure plantations than in the mixed plantations, while the leaching range of Ca2+ was greater in the mixed plantation than in the pure plantations. In the two types of plantations, the adsorption rates of Ca2+ and Na+ in the mixed plantations were higher than in the pure plantations, while K+ and Mg2+ showed higher adsorption rates in the pure plantations than in the mixed plantations. Therefore, soil pH and base ions were greatly affected by the pH value of acid rain. Compared with the pure plantations, the establishment of Eucalyptus–Castanopsis fissa mixed plantations can slow soil acidification and leaching of K+, Na+, and Mg2+ and contribute to the adsorption of Ca2+ and Na+, which is beneficial for the soil nutrient fixation of Eucalyptus plantations. The mixed plantations were found to increase the exchange reaction between H+ and base ions, thereby improving the acid buffer performance of the soil. This, in turn, helped to mitigate the decline in soil fertility. Therefore, establishment of Eucalyptus–Castanopsis fissa mixed-species plantations can slow down the impact of acid rain on soil acidification in artificial plantation land to a certain extent and play an important role in optimizing the plantation structure of Eucalyptus stands and maintaining their productivity.

The impact of acid rain on cadmium phytoremediation in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Sunflower is an ideal crop for phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated farmland, as it brings economic benefits while conducting soil remediation. Due to industrial emissions and car exhaust, Cd contaminated areas are often accompanied by acid rain. However, the impact of acid rain on the Cd remediation capacity of sunflowers and its potential influencing factors are unclear. An experiment was manipulated to elucidate the effects of Cd concentration (0,10,50,100 μmol/L) and acid rain (pH 4.0) on the phytoremediation ability of sunflowers, in which the properties of them were explored. The results indicated that Cd stress is the main factor affecting the growth of sunflowers. Without AR, Cd treatment decreased sunflower biomass by 67.5–85.6%. Under AR, Cd treatment decreased sunflower biomass 53.9–86.4%. Compared without AR, the relative chlorophyll content with AR increased by 22.3–23.1%, while the YII with AR decreased by 6.5–20.0%. There was an interaction between acid rain and Cd stress on antioxidant enzyme activity. With AR, CAT activity at 0 μmol/L Cd treatment increased by 25.6%, compared without AR. Whether there is acid rain or not, the POD and SOD activities were increased at 10, 50 μmol/L Cd treatment, but they were decreased at 100 μmol/L Cd treatment. Among them, acid rain exacerbated the impact of POD activity (decreased by 31.4%) at 100 μmol/L Cd treatment and SOD activity (decreased by 15.1%) at 50 μmol/L Cd treatment, compared without AR. In this experiment, the phytoremediation capacity of sunflowers mainly depended on the concentration of Ca in the leaves and their antioxidant capacity. Acid rain enhanced 77.5% the total Cd accumulation at 10 μmol/L Cd treatment, compared without AR. Acid rain exacerbated the damage of Cd to the chloroplast structure of sunflowers, and reduced the accumulation of starch particles. The study findings may be useful for improving the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Wheel‐based 5G fronthaul/backhaul hybrid MDM‐NGPON/FSO system under Gamma‐Gamma turbulence and weather effects

SummaryThis work presents the bidirectional and symmetric 40 Gbps wheel architecture comprising 16 channels‐based bidirectional hybrid next generation passive optical network with free space optics (NGPON/FSO) system using mode division multiplexing (MDM) scheme. The system incorporates a low‐cost high bandwidth and integrated time and wavelength division multiplexing with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (TWDM‐OFDM) for data transmission over mixed fiber‐FSO links to various end users at donut modes 0 and 1. This system enhances the fifth generation (5G)‐based networks reliability, survivability, and flexibility, especially in rural places where the core fiber link may be damaged/destroyed under diverse turbulent and weather conditions. The obtained results depict the faithful multimode fiber range of 100 km with fixed FSO range of 100 m at −17 dBm receiver sensitivity and low power penalty of 0.2 dB at 10−9 bit error rate. Maximum FSO range of 2800 m under weak‐to‐strong Gamma‐Gamma turbulence and the effect of fog, rain, snow, and snow with rain can be obtained successfully with fixed 50 km fiber length. Also, the proposed wheel architecture provides superior performance over hybrid ring‐mesh architecture with high split ratio of 1:64. Moreover, the system can sustain up to 70 remote nodes at symmetric 10 Gbps throughput providing high gain, high optical signal‐to‐noise ratio, and low noise figure. The comparative literature work also reveals that the proposed architecture offers high bandwidth, security, long‐reach, and cost‐effectiveness in 5G fronthaul/backhaul networks.

Rain Cover and Netting Materials Differentially Affect Fruit Yield and Quality Traits in Two Highbush Blueberry Cultivars via Changes in Sunlight and Temperature Conditions.

The use of covers to protect blueberry orchards from adverse weather events has increased due to the variability in climate patterns, but the effects of rain covers and netting materials on yield and fruit quality have not been studied yet. This research evaluated the simultaneous effect of an LDPE plastic cover, a woven cover, and netting material on environmental components (UV light, PAR, NIR, and growing degree days (GDDs)), plant performance (light interception, leaf area index, LAI, yield, and flower development), and fruit quality traits (firmness, total soluble solids, and acidity) in two blueberry cultivars. On average, UV transmission under the netting was 11% and 43% higher compared to that under woven and LDPE plastic covers, while NIR transmission was 8-13% higher with both types of rain covers, with an increase in fruit air temperature and GDDs. Yield was 27% higher under the woven cover with respect to netting, but fruit firmness values under the netting were 12% higher than those of the LDPE plastic cover. Light interception, LAI, and flower development explained 64% (p = 0.0052) of the yield variation due to the cover material's effect. The obtained results suggest that the type of cover differentially affects yield and fruit quality in blueberries due to the specific light and temperature conditions generated under these materials.

Exogenous N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone mitigates acid rain stress effects through modulation of structural and functional changes in Triticum aestivum leaf

Acid rain (AR) is a global environmental problem that causes a number of morphological, physiological and molecular changes in plants. N-acyl homoserine lactones, as bacterial quorum sensing signal molecules, mediate a number of physiological processes in plants. In this study, we have demonstrated for the first time the stress-protective role of AHL foliar treatment under conditions of abiotic stress - acid rain. The effects of simulated acid rain (SAR), treatment of plants with N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) solution, and a combination of these two factors on the microstructure of the leaf surface, photosynthetic pigments, secondary metabolites, and lipoxygenase activity in winter wheat plants were analyzed. It was established that on the fourth day following treatment of 14-day-old plants with C6-HSL, the thickness of the outer cell wall of the leaf epidermis, together with the cuticle layer, increased by 15 %. SAR treatment resulted in a significant thinning of the cell wall (33 %), while pretreatment with C6-HSL followed by SAR reduced cell wall thickness by only 9 %. Under SAR, the cuticular wax layer was destroyed and there were unequal wax lamellae on the epidermal surface, while in C6-HSL treated plants only partial cracking of the cuticular wax layer, slight destruction of the wax lamellae, and formation of wax crusts took place. C6-HSL induced a significant increase in total chlorophyll content under non-SAR conditions, and significantly mitigated the decrease of total chlorophyll content caused by SAR. Lipoxygenase activity, the content of total phenols, flavonoids, and proline increased after treatment of plants with C6-HSL solution alone and in combination with SAR. This is the first report on the possibility of using C6-HSL as an ecological biostimulator under conditions of AR.

Adaptive response of Siberian roe deer Capreolus pygargus to climate and altitude in the temperate forests of South Korea

Understanding climatic effect on wildlife is essential to prediction and management of climate change's impact on the ecosystem. The climatic effect can interact with other environmental factors. This study was aimed to determine effects of climate and altitude on Siberian roe deer Capreolus pygargus activity in temperate forests of South Korea. We conducted camera trapping to investigate roe deer's activity level from spring to fall. Logistic regressions were used to determine effects of diel period, temperature, rain, and altitude on the activity level. A negative relationship was noted between temperature and the activity level due to thermoregulatory costs. Roe deer activity exhibited nocturnal and crepuscular patterns during summer and the other seasons, respectively, possibly due to heat stress in summer. In addition, the effect of temperature differed between high‐ and low‐altitude areas. In low‐altitude areas, temperature affected negatively the activity level throughout the study period. Conversely, in high‐altitude areas, temperature affected activity level only in summer and early fall. Lower temperatures in higher altitudes favoured roe deer activity, resulting in roe deer's preference towards higher altitude areas. However, roe deer's movement toward lower altitudes was observed in summer. Reduced heat stress by changing activity pattern allowed them to access lower altitude areas with greater resource availability during summer. This study revealed how roe deer activity varied across seasons and altitudes, considering the interactions among weather, microclimate and resource availability. It provides insight into how montane species adapt to various climatic conditions, and this could have important implications for wildlife management and conservation efforts.

Yearly Fluctuations in Honey Production in Hokkaido, Northern Japan, with Special Reference to Weather Conditions and Masting Behavior

The factors controlling yearly fluctuations in honey production are poorly understood. To evaluate yearly fluctuations in honey production, the coefficient of variation (CV) and the autocorrelation analysis were used to determine the magnitude and periodicity of the fluctuations for seven major nectar-source plants (basswood, black locust, Amur cork tree, white clover, buckwheat, Kamchatka thistle, and horse chestnut) using 15-years of data obtained in Hokkaido, Japan. Regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between annual honey production and the corresponding weather conditions during the flowering month. The periodic synchronous flowering and fruiting observed in tree species is called masting or masting behavior. A masting model, based on the resource budget, was applied to tree species if periodicity was detected by an autocorrelation analysis. The CV differed markedly among species. Black locust and the Amur cork tree had the smallest and largest CVs, respectively, whereas basswood was periodic. A negative correlation was observed between monthly precipitation and honey production in black locust, white clover, thistle and the Amur cork tree. This result implies that rain inhibits honey bee foraging. Production of buckwheat honey, however, tended to increase with increasing mean temperature. It might be difficult to detect the effect of rain on the honey production using buckwheat presumably because of the long flowering period. Annual honey production in basswood could be described by the resource budget model, but not in horse chestnut. Some horse chestnut trees produce flowers even in non-mast year implying that it was difficult to detect the periodicity in this species. According to beekeepers, honey production in this last decade in Hokkaido has been disrupted by climate change and the transitioning of the industrial structure.

Response and driving factors of soil enzyme activity related to acid rain: a meta-analysis.

As a global pollution, acid rain can significantly alter soil physicochemical and biochemical processes, but our knowledge of how acid rain affects soil enzyme activity is still limited. To quantify the overall magnitude and direction of the response of soil enzyme activity to acidrain, we conducted a linear mixed model-based meta-analysis of 40 articles. Our analysis revealed that acid rain decreased enzyme activity by an average of 4.87%. Soil dehydrogenase and protease activities were particularly sensitive to acid rain, with significant inhibitions observed. The effect of acid rain was moderated by acid rain intensity (i.e., H+ addition rate, total H+ added, and acid rain pH) and soil fraction (i.e., rhizosphere and bulk soil). Structural equation modelling further revealed that acid rain suppressed soil microbial biomass by acidifying the soil and that the reduction in microbial biomass directly led to the inhibition of enzyme activity in bulk soil. However, the enzyme activity in the rhizosphere soil was not affected by acid rain due to the rhizosphere effect, whichwas also not impacted by thedecreased soil pHinduced by acid rainin rhizosphere. Our study gives an insight into how bulk soil enzyme activity is impacted by acid rain and highlights the need to incorporate rhizosphere processes into acid rain-terrestrial ecosystem models.

Stabilization of Ni by rhamnolipid modified nano zero-valent iron in soil: Effect of simulated acid rain and microbial response

Nickel (Ni), as one of the essential micronutrients, exists widely in nature, but high concentration of Ni in soil can pose certain biological toxicity. Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) and rhamnolipid modified nZVI (RL@nZVI) can effectively stabilize Ni in soil. In this study, the stabilization effect of nZVI and RL@nZVI on the Ni-polluted soil under simulated acid rain and the microbial community response during the soil remediation under different Ni levels (200, 600, and 1800 mg/kg) were investigated. The results show that the addition of nZVI and RL@nZVI increased the pH of leachate to neutral and decreased the amount of Ni in leachate (23.33%–47.06% by nZVI and 50.01%–70.47% by RL@nZVI), indicating that nZVI and RL@nZVI could reduce the potential radial migration risk of Ni in soil under simulated acid rain. The addition of RL@nZVI was beneficial to recover the soil bacterial community diversity, which was inhibited by Ni pollution, and rhamnolipid coating could reduce the toxicity of nZVI. The dominant bacteria in RL@nZVI-treated soil with low, medium, and high Ni pollution were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, respectively. Soil potential, total organic carbon, and pH were the main driving factors affecting the bacterial community structure, while Ni stress only caused changes in the relative abundance of some tolerant bacteria.

Analysis of energy consumption characteristics and fracture characteristics of moraine grouting solidified body under uniaxial compression

Glacial movement causes massive accumulation of fine-grained moraine, which often induces slope instability, moraine debris flow, and other geological hazards due to the effects of rain and the ice-snow melting. This study used a modified phosphoric acid-water glass slurry for grouting and curing moraine, and analyzed the influencing law of water glass Baume degree and curing age on energy consumption characteristics as well as the fracture properties of the grout-cured body of moraine using the uniaxial compression test. The results showed that the gel time of phosphoric acid-water glass slurry increased with the increasing addition of phosphoric acid and that it had a mutation phenomenon. The gel time increased linearly with the increasing addition of phosphoric acid before the mutation. Moreover, the compressive strength, pre-peak total energy, pre-peak elastic energy, pre-peak dissipative energy, elastic energy density, dissipative energy density, and pre-peak fracture toughness of the moraine curing body at same curing age increased linearly with the increase of water glass Baume degree by 46%–218%. The compressive strength, pre-peak elastic energy, and pre-peak elastic energy density of the moraine curing body increased with the curing age but grew slowly from 3 days to 7 days and rapidly from 7 days to 14 days. Through regression analysis of the test results, the fracture toughness calculation formula was derived from an energy perspective. These research results have significant implications for the reinforcement of moraine strata grouting and glacial debris flow disaster prevention and control.

Evolution of flow field around high-speed trains meeting at the tunnel entrance under strong wind-rain environments

Tropical storms pose a great threat to the traffic safety of tunnel-embankment transition sections in coastal areas, especially when two trains are meeting. A series of 3D computational fluid dynamics numerical simulations of wind-rain-tunnel-embankment-train are established using the Eulerian multiphase and the Shear-Stress Transport k-ω models. The numerical model's reliability is verified by wind tunnel tests using rainfall simulation technology. The differences in the train's aerodynamic performance before and during the meeting under different wind-rain conditions are analyzed. The rain phase's impact mechanism on the flow field is revealed. Results show that: Before the meeting, the rain phase will worsen the train's aerodynamic performance. When the wind speed and rainfall intensity is 20 m/s and 400 mm/h, the head train's average lift force (C‾y), yawing and pitching moments (C‾mz) increase by 6.25%, 9.68% and 10.31%, respectively. The rain phase increases the wind-rain load amplitude during the meeting, and the head train's pitching moment increases by 10.7%. The moment is more worthy of attention than that of force under a rainy day, and the change rate of C‾mz is 4.9 times of that of C‾y. The amplification effect of rain on wind-rain loads may endanger the driving safety of trains at the tunnel entrance.

Investigating the deterioration mechanism of adhesion between asphalt and aggregate interface under acid rain erosion

To further reveal the effect of acid rain on the interfacial adhesion of asphalt mixtures, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used to investigate the interfacial damage mechanism. A water layer containing hydrogen ions, sulfate ions, and nitrate ions was inserted between the asphalt and aggregate to simulate the effect of acid rain attack on the interface. The interfacial bonding strength under three conditions of dry, pure and acidic water was analyzed. The effect of acidic ions on the spatial arrangement and movement of asphalt molecules was discussed. The damage of the asphalt-aggregate interface under both pure water and acidic water attack was investigated. The results showed that the acidic ions promote the rearrangement distribution of asphalt molecules at the interface, reduce the concentration of asphalt molecules at the interface, and weaken the adhesion ability at the interface. The degree of aggregation of polar components increases, resulting in a reduction in the movement migration capacity of asphalt and poor mobility, increasing the possibility of asphalt stripping from the aggregate surface. Under the influence of acidic ions, less separation energy is required for interfacial adhesion damage to occur between asphalt and aggregate, and the amount of deformation at interfacial failure is smaller.

Study on accelerated aging rate of asphalt binder under multi-factors coupling conditions

The aging behavior of asphalt binder in service is complex. The accelerated aging methods commonly used in the laboratory are difficult to reproduce the aging behavior of asphalt binder in service. The purpose of this study is to develop a method for predicting the properties of asphalt binder in service. First, a multi-factor accelerating (MFA) aging method was developed to accelerate the aging of asphalt binder. Multi-scale characterization and correlation analysis were conducted on the MFA-aged asphalt binder. Then, the evaluation index of MFA aging was defined, which was used to establish the prediction equation for asphalt binder aging. Finally, the time correlation between field aging, pressure aging vessel (PAV) aging and MFA aging was constructed separately. The results show that accelerated aging of asphalt binder at atmospheric pressure and service temperature can be achieved by the coupled effect of temperature, ultraviolet light and rain. After 5-day MFA aging, the Glover-Rowe (G-R) parameter, an index for evaluating the cracking resistance of asphalt binder, was increased by 308%. The carbonyl index, an index for evaluating the content of chemical functional groups of asphalt binder, was increased by 67%. The correlation between the G-R parameter and the carbonyl index was linear, and the goodness-of-fit was greater than 0.9. The carbonyl index as a key chemical index may reflect the macroscopic properties of asphalt binder. The prediction equation for aging was established based on the carbonyl index of field-aged asphalt binder in Beijing, with reliability greater than 0.98. PAV aging for 20 h was equivalent to 1.35 years of asphalt binder service in Beijing. MFA aging method can better predict the aging time in the field. The prediction accuracy was 97.2%, which was 4.9% higher compared to that of PAV aging. MFA aging for 5 days was equivalent to about 2 years of asphalt binder service in Beijing.

Liming and spring salamander abundance

AbstractEnvironmental acidification is affecting ecosystems around the globe, and as a result, managers are using limestone applications to mitigate the effects of acid rain and acid mine drainage. Limestone applications attempt to reverse acidification by increasing stream pH; however, liming can have variable effects on stream biota. We examined the effects of liming on spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus) abundance in West Virginia, USA, from 10 June to 1 September 2013. We used multiple methods (i.e., leaf litterbags, visual encounter surveys, area constrained flip and search) to sample spring salamanders within 11 different streams in the Monongahela National Forest. Using N‐mixture models, which allow for estimation of abundance from count data and account for imperfect detection probabilities, we examined the effects of direct application liming (DAL) on spring salamander abundance. Direct application liming at a higher lime frequency did not have a significant effect on salamander abundance; however, we observed differences in spring salamander size in areas near the DAL site. These results have influenced management of limed streams and will enlighten managers to the effects of high frequency liming on salamander communities and other stream organisms, and will provide insights on how to mitigate potential impacts as a result of liming practices.

Acid Rain Formation and Its Direct Impacts on Plants: Wheat and Rice

Acid rain is a serious environmental problem that occurs in many places around the world. Acid deposition can form as a result of the oxidation of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases that are released into the atmosphere. These gases (SO2, NOx) are the primary causes of acid rain, and physically and chemically react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form other acidic compounds such as sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3). Acid rain can form in the presence of ozone and carbon dioxide as well. Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3) affect biological systems like plants directly. This paper provides information about acid formation and the direct impacts of acid rain on plants. Through a survey of the literature, we assessed the direct effects of acid rain on leaf chlorophyll, growth, and yield parameters on crops that have the highest economic importance in Afghanistan. (e.g., wheat, rice). For the analysis of the data, linear regression was applied. The results showed that plant parameters (dependent variables) such as leaf length, leaf area, chlorophyll content, leaf dry weight, and weight of 1000 seeds of wheat; leaf area; net-photosynthetic rate; and leaf dry weight of rice can be significantly affected by pH treatments (pH 5.5–2.5) (independent variables). The trends of the analysis determined significant negative effects of acid rain on plant parameters. To reduce the impacts of acid rain on plants, it is necessary to apply adaptation and mitigation strategies.