The effects of acid rain depend on the route of deposition (Wet/Dry) as well as on the level of contact with plants, building and water course. Acid rain exerts both direct and indirect influence on organisms and materials. The direct effects are determined by the concentration of pollutants in air and generally they decline with increasing distances from the source of emission.

On the other hand the indirect effects include its secondary and tertiary products. They are known to affects and material with more harmful consequences at a distance up to hundreds and sometimes thousand kilometers.

Dry deposition has direct effects on the environment. It attacks building materials such as sand stone, lime stone, marble, steel while/ wet deposition has both direct and indirect effects. It increases the acidity of lakes and rivers, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. Acidity kills fish, bacteria and algae.

Effects of Acid Rain on Fish and Wildlife :

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Acid rain has several effects on fish and fishery resources. Fish kills are a common feature in highly acidified water. A sub lethal levels fishes may fail to reproduce. The population may gradually extinct because of negligible recruitment of young fish to replace older ones as they die. They die because of accumulation of heavy metals.

Many direct and indirect effects of acid rain on productivity and survival of wildlife population have been documented. Wildlife is affected indirectly because of loss of alteration of food habit resources. Acid rain can directly affect eggs and tadpoles of frogs and salamanders that breed in small forest ponds. As plants and wildlife are directly related any affect on the former will be disadvantageous to the later.