The nation's forest ecosystems have been jeopardized because the amount of acid rainfall they receive now exceeds their ability to recover, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday.
\nThe EPA released a newly completed study on acid rain, suggesting that six crucial forest ecosystems have been jeopardized by excessive acid rainfall at three to 10 times higher than their tolerance.
\nTaking the forest in Fushan, Ilan County, as an example, EPA officials said that it now receives more than 10 times its "acid critical load," and a forest in Shanping, Kaohsiung County, receives more than eight times its critical load.
\nThe "acid critical load" refers to the maximum amount of acid deposits that a region can receive without damage to its ecosystems.
\nProject investigator Lin Neng-huei (
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