How Do Plants React to Acidic Water?

Varied Reactions

• Plants react differently to acidic water, depending on age and other factors. Young, tender growth is much more likely to be harmed by high acidity in water. In effect, high acidity may prevent plants from absorbing the nutrients and minerals they need to sustain growth and health. The degree of the effect varies depending upon how much acidity gets to the plants, which may change due to the slope of the ground and other environmental factors.

Long-Term Effects

• Forested areas affected by acid rain show slowed growth patterns and early wilting of foliage. Some trees have even died prematurely and inexplicably when exposed to acid rain. Over time, acidic rain is slowly causing growth to slow and forested areas to die by degrading the soil and preventing nutrients and minerals from being absorbed. The acidic water is not responsible for the death of trees itself, but it causes general weakness that makes the trees unable to process nutrients. Trees are not the only plant life that is harmed by acidic water. All plant life may be affected by acid rains, but it's far less noticeable in garden environment where homeowners fertilize and treat their soil regularly to improve the quality.

Affect on Soil

• Soils that are naturally rich in calcium carbonate and limestone neutralize the acid in acid rain. Rich, neutralizing soils containing limestone and calcium carbonate are found naturally in the United States throughout the Great Plains, Midwest and Western states. Sandy soil, which is high in quartz, has no ability to neutralize the acid, and when soil freezes the neutralization process is stopped entirely. When acidic water is not neutralized in soil, minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium are washed out of the top layer of soil and pushed into subsoil where plants cannot reach it.

Toxicity

• In addition to leaching needed minerals from the soil, acidic water releases toxic aluminum into the ground. While humans may not be affected by the presence of aluminum in soils, plants will become damaged by high levels of it. Stunted or warped growth, even death may result when too much aluminum is present in soil.