Korean Journal of Agricultural Science ISSN:2466-2402(Print) 2466-2410(Online) 농업과학연구

Deforestation and conservation of coniferous forest have been recognized as critical issues in Korea due to climate change. The main purpose of this research was to monitor changes of secondary metabolite contents and growth of Korean fir (Abies koreana) according to the temperature change in Mt. Halla. The Korean fir located at three different regions, Yeongsil, Witseoreum, and Jindallaebat, was monitored in April, July, and October from 2016 to 2018 and secondary metabolites, specifically lutein, α-carotenoid, and β-carotenoid, were analysed with high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that average concentrations of lutein, α-carotenoid, and β-carotenoid were 0.82 - 23.30, 0.02 - 2.01, and 0.11 - 2.84 μg·g-1 and the highest concentration of secondary metabolite was observed in October compared to April and July. The average length and width of Korean fir in the three regions were 11.84 - 20.70 and 1.78 - 2.41 mm from 2016 - 2018. A correlation analysis showed that the concentrations of all three secondary metabolites were negatively correlated with temperature and a significant difference was observed between temperature and lutein concentration in Korean fir. Overall, growth and production of secondary metabolites in Korean fir highly depended on the temperature, and global warming thus might have an adverse effect on the growth and physiological changes of Korean fir in Mt. Halla.