For centuries, human activities (e.g. power generation from coal combustion) have increased gaseous emissions to the atmosphere. As emissions increased, scientists were able to link degradation of natural resources to acidification of the environment as sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide gases interacted with rainfall to form sulfuric and nitric acids. In response, federal regulations (e.g. Clean Air Act Amendments) were enacted to control and reduce point source emissions. Through time, monitoring programs have revealed significant increases in rainfall pH, particularly in the Midwestern and northeastern US. Research has shown that current atmospheric deposition trends are affecting biogeochemical...