Nitrogen deposition reveals global patterns in plant and animal stoichiometry.

ABSTRACT: The elemental content of organisms links cellular biochemistry to ecological processes, from physiology to nutrient dynamics. While plant stoichiometry is thought to vary with climate and nutrient availability across latitudes, the consistency of these patterns across trophic groups and realms remains unclear. Using the StoichLife database, which includes nitrogen and phosphorus content data for 5443 species across 1390 sites, we examine how solar energy (temperature, radiation) and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) influence stoichiometric variation. We find that plant stoichiometry in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems is more strongly associated with environmental gradients, particularly nitrogen deposition, than animal stoichiometry. Contrary to expectations, temperature, radiatio

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12689610 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature