Deep undercooling of tissue water and winter hardiness limitations in timberline flora [Picea engelmannii, Abies lasiocarpa]

Deep undercooled tissue water, which froze near -40 C, was found in winter collected stem and leaf tissue of the dominant timberline tree species of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii (Parry) Engelm.) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), and in numerous other woody species in and below the subalpine vegetation zone. Previous work on numerous woody plants indicates that deep undercooling in xylem makes probable a -40 C winter hardiness limit in stem tissue. Visual injury determinations and electrolyte loss measurements on stem tissue revealed injury near -40 C associated with the freezing of the deep undercooled stem tissue water. These results suggest that the winter hardiness limit of this woody flora is near -40 C. The relevance of deep undercooling in relation to timberline, the upper elevational limit of the subalpine forest, is discussed.