Does forest fire smoke harm plants?
5-98 Q. With all the smoke from the fires in Central America and Mexico, should I be worried about my plants? I’ve never seen such smoky days for so long a time. A. Your garden may actually benefit from the smoke. New Mexico has extremely bright sunlight levels, to the point that we suffer sunscald on our plants. The smoke diffuses and attenuates the light which is to the benefit of the plants. By diffusing the light, the light seems to come from more directions, so the shadows under the top leaves of plants are less intense and the lower leaves are more effective at producing food for the plant. Normally, the shaded leaves become more consumer than producer of food. By attenuating the light, the intensity of the direct sunlight is reduced and the incidence of burning is reduced a little. There are concerns about greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the plants. A plant uses carbon dioxide to make sugar and other foods for itself and us. Any increased carbon dioxide
