Water Status of Several Evergreen Plants during Overwintering

수종 상록식물의 월동 중 수분상태

The water status of the leaves of several evergreen plants was investigated in order to discuss the geopgraphical distribution of them. Relastionship between relative water content and water potential of the leaves showed linear decrease for evergreen conifers but exponential decrease for Korean box tree (Buxus microphylla var. koreana). On the basis of the leaf water potential, the water status of the conifers during wintering was distinctly divided into three periods; hardening, cold resistance and dehardening, but lacking in those periods for the Korean box tree, where the status continously decreased. In the cold resistance the leaf water potentials were -23 bar for both spruce (Picea jezoensis) and yew (Taxus cuspidata). From these results and threshold temperature at beginning of hardening, distribution of the conifers was explained that in order of the red pine, the Korean white pine, the yew and the spruce the distribution could be extended at higher altitudes and in more northward areas, whereas the distribution of the Korean box tree was restricted to the lowland of temperate zone.