Nitrogen content and respiration rate in leaves of the Wrangel Island plants

A study on Wrangel Island (71° N) reveals that the protein nitrogen content and respiration rates of 22 herbaceous species exceed those of temperate zone plants by 1.3- and 2.4-fold, respectively, at 10°C. Unlike temperate plants, no significant correlation was found between protein nitrogen content and respiration rate (r² = 0.137), suggesting that protein content does not directly determine respiration in Arctic plants. The findings challenge the use of indirect metrics like nitrogen content for modeling carbon cycles in northern ecosystems and underscore the importance of direct respiration measurements in natural habitats.

Semikhatova, O. A., Ivanova, T. I., & Kirpichnikova, O. V. (2010). Nitrogen content and respiration rate in leaves of the Wrangel Island plants. Russian Journal of Plant Physiology, 57(6), 749–754. https://doi.org/10.1134/s1021443710060014