Atmospheric Nitrates Can Increase Forest Fires

Due to Nitrate saturated agricultural fields our atmosphere has a historically large amounts of nitrate “runoff “ (which is the term even if it is air born excess) is contributing to quicker growing forests and under brush. This increased growth has a positive effect of using up more CO2, a green house gas, but on the negative side the denser growth also contributes to forest fire dangers.

This is a good representation of the complexities of peoples effect on the world. On one hand the nitrates seem to help decrease the green house gasses, but in the long run the exacerbation of forest fires which increases green house gasses, and in turn creates more nitrate runoff. Nitrate runoff comes from agricultural nitrates as well as a small amount from burning fossil fuels.