Poison Ivy Thrives With Climate Change

June 26, 2007 — -- Helped along by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, one of summertime's itchiest pests -- poison ivy -- is thriving, according to a new study.

The study examined how the increase of carbon dioxide in the past 50 years, brought on by climate change, has affected the growth of poison ivy.

The findings?

"Even with a small change in CO2, poison ivy increased its biomass," said Lewis Ziska, the lead researcher in the study and a plant physiologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md.

In other words, poison ivy plants are getting bigger faster.

Although the amount of the rash-causing oil produced by the plant didn't increase significantly, the amount of the oil produced per plant did increase, according to the study.

Furthermore, today's poison ivy plants are more resilient when eaten by animals, Ziska said.

When the plants' leaves were removed, as they are when animals munch on them, in an increased presence of carbon dioxide, poison ivy recovered more quickly.

"It will be knocking on your bedroom windows this evening," he joked.

The new data, which is expected to be published this summer, reinforces a May 2006 study that found that in coming years the continued increasing amounts of carbon dioxide could potentially create bigger, more poisonous plants and itchier rashes to match.