Comparative Leaf Characteristics of Quercus Mongolica and Rhododendron Schilippenbachii Plants Inhabiting at South- and North- Facing Slopes around Mountain Ridge

Abstract

Leaf characteristics of two representative deciduous-tree species in Korean peninsula were compared to assess directional ridge effect on leaf traits of both species. Leaf mass per unit area (LMA) of Rhododendron schilippenbachii in south-facing ridge slope was significantly higher than that in north-facing ridge slope, while Quercus mongolica did not change LMA. Leaf mass of Q. mongolica was increased depending on leaf size irrespective of slope. However, leaf mass of R. schilippenbachii changed differently in responding to expansion of leaf area between both slopes resulting from retardation of leaf expansion in south-facing slope. R. schilippenbachii showed higher leaf nitrogen concentration per unit area (LNCA) in south-facing slope than that in north-facing slope, while Q. mongolica indicated no difference in LNCA between southand north-facing slopes. However, both species revealed no significant difference in leaf nitrogen concentration per unit mass (LNCM) between south-and north-facing slopes. LNCA of Q. mongolica was about two times higher than that of R. schilippenbachii. These results indicate that there is a difference in leaf characteristics including leaf thickness and nitrogen allocation between Q. mongolica and R. schilippenbachii, suggesting the difference of plasticity.