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.
The 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.
Taking 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.
The "acid critical load" refers to the maximum amount of acid deposits that a region can receive without damage to its ecosystems.
Project investigator Lin Neng-huei (
Ecosystems that can tolerate acidic pollution have high critical loads, while sensitive ecosystems have low critical loads. The sensitivity level depends on the acid-rain neutralizing capacity of the water, rocks and soil.
"However, five out of the six forests investigated could be classified as the second level, which shows their relatively high vulnerability," Lin said at a press conference yesterday.
Lin said that when the environment fails to neutralize the acid being deposited, ecological damage inevitably occurs.
Two common air pollutants in acid rain are sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. When these substances are released into the atmosphere, they can be carried over long distances by prevailing winds before returning to earth as acid rain.
"The EPA will seriously monitor acid rainfall in different regions in order to understand the possible negative impact being made on ecological systems," said Ho Soon-ching (
Ho said that Taiwan has set up many regulations to limit the use of inferior fuels for automobiles in a bid to effectively prevent air pollution. However, foreign pollutants traveling long distances from China, which has experienced rapid industrialization, contributes to more than 50 percent of air pollutants in this country.
EPA statistics show that the pH level of rainwater is about 4.9 in Taipei, 4.6 in Chungli and 4.8 in Kaohsiung. The lower the pH level of rainwater, the more acidic it is. According to the EPA, the normal pH of rainwater should fall between 5 and 6.
Lin said that a research network including scientists in the US, Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan has been established to exchange critical data about pollutants causing acid rain in the Pacific region. Taiwanese researchers are calling for more countries to take part in the network in order to monitor the regional distribution of pollutants and prevent local ecological damage.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
Central and southern Taiwan are to see increasingly heavy rainfall from last night through Friday due to the effects of a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said Tropical Storm Co-May had weakened into a low-pressure system on Saturday, but that it strengthened again into a tropical depression (TD 11) near the seas around Japan's Ryukyu Islands due to favorable environmental conditions. The tropical depression is expected to persist for two to three days, moving west-northwest by this afternoon and reaching China's Zhejiang through the East China Sea tomorrow,
RSS