Acid rain affects soil microbes in a subtropical agricultural area in Southern China. Researchers studied how different levels of acid rain (pH 5.0, pH 4.0, and pH 3.0) impacted the soil microbial community over a year. They found that pH 3.0 acid rain initially increased certain types of microbes but this effect decreased over time. pH 5.0 acid rain, on the other hand, increased different types of microbes later on. The seasonal changes had a bigger impact on the soil microbial community than the acidity of the acid rain. Overall, the study shows that soil microbes in this area can adapt to acid rain, suggesting a level of redundancy in their functions.