A survey was conducted on the inorganic and organic solute patterns of plants in connection with nitrate metabolism according to different light regimes (1.9, 16.0, 91.5 $Wm^{-2}$). Besides measuring in vivo NRA, we also quantitatively analyzed ater-soluble inorganic ions, organic acids, low molecular weight carbohydrates, amino aciss and total N (% DW). Among 4 Carex species, C. pilosa is known as shade-adapted species and the others as half (C. gracilis) to full (C. rostrata & C. distans) light-adapted species. Compared to species adapted to high light intensity, shade-adapted C. pilosa showed reduced productivity under the highest light intensity. In general, nitrate and amino acid levels decreased at higher light intensity, while sugar and organic acid concentrations increased. In C. pilosa osmolality tended to rise with increasing light intensity, while in the other species it tended to fall. Under low light intensity, the drop in soluble carbohydrate contents is osmotically compensated for by an enhanced nitrate concentration. It is concluded that competition between nitrate and $CO_2$reduction for reductants and ATP from photosynthesis may have important ecological consequences for the adaptation of plants to low or high light conditions. Additionally, the patterns of ionic changes due to increased light intensities were essentially the same in all selected species, indicating similar characteristics of heir mineral ion and organic acid metabolism as well as in field-grown Carex species.