Debate: Is my local park actually greener now or am I just seeing what I want to see?

I moved near Forest Park in Portland back in 2018 and I swear the undergrowth along the Wildwood Trail has gotten thicker every summer since. Some old timers say it's just normal succession after the 2015 fire season cleared stuff out. But I keep wondering if the extra CO2 in the air is actually making plants grow faster, not better. Has anyone else noticed a real before and after shift in their local woods, and do you think it's a good sign or a bad one?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda1141mo ago

The "extra CO2 making things grow faster" thing is a misconception. Plants need CO2, sure, but they're limited way more by light, water, and nutrients in most places. Your park just looks thicker because the undergrowth is bouncing back naturally after the fire. It's not a climate superpower.

amy_anderson1mo ago

Actually, you're mostly right about what limits plant growth, but it's a bit more complicated than that. Some studies show extra CO2 can help plants use water more efficiently, which does bump up growth in drier areas. But yeah, your park's probably just recovering from the fire like you said. The bigger point is that even if CO2 boosted everything, it's not a free pass to ignore everything else wrong with the climate. It's like getting a slightly bigger bucket when your house is flooding.