Where is Acid Deposition a Problem? Ecological Society of America 02.01.01 In the U.S., the ecological effects of acid deposition vary from region to region. In the eastern U.S., ecological damage from acidification (nitric and sulfuric acid deposition) is widely apparent in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains of New York. Many lakes and streams in these areas are no longer able to maintain fish populations, and water quality in these areas has been highly degraded. Similar situations are also reported in the Smokey Mountains, Shenandoah National Park, and in several midwestern states. Eastern Canadian ecosystems have also been similarly hard hit by acid deposition.     In the western U.S., nitrogen leaching in high elevation ecosystems has just recently been detected in the Colorado Rockies Front Range. In contrast, the rate of nitrogen leaching into streams surrounding chaparral forests of the Los Angeles Basin, CA, is one of the highest recorded in the country. Nitric acid deposition is of greater concern in the West than sulfuric acid.    In some coastal ecosystems deposition of nitric acid is a key contributor to poor water quality conditions and massive fish kills.     Outside the U.S., scientists predict that future NOx and SO2 emissions will substantially increase in the developing world, especially in Asia, making acidification a greater ecological problem.  Prepared by the Ecological Society of America  1707 H Street NW, Suite 400  Washington, DC 20006  (202) 833-8773    ©2001 The Aurora Collection, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Site Development by: Interactive Multimedia. Inc.