NSF BEAR-oNS Data: Leaf-Chamber Experiments for Investigating the Temperature Sensitivity of Arctic Isoprene Emitters near Toolik Field Station, Alaska, USA (2022-2023)

It has been widely reported that isoprene emissions from Arctic ecosystems show a strong temperature response, and that Arctic warming is increasing ecosystem isoprene emissions. We conducted leaf-chamber experiments on two major groups of Arctic isoprene emitters—sedges and willows—near Toolik Field Station, Alaska, USA. We identify sedges (Carex spp. and Eriophorum spp.) as key contributors to this high temperature sensitivity. Sedges exhibit a markedly stronger temperature response than other isoprene emitters and than predicted by widely used isoprene emission models. In addition, we find that the hourly temperature response curve of Salix spp., the dominant isoprene-emitting shrub in the Arctic, is similar to that of temperate plants. In contrast, willow isoprene emission capacity or emission factor shows a more substantial-than-expected response to the previous day’s mean ambient temperature.