Quantitative Study of the Importance of Water Permeability in Plant Cold Hardiness

The rate of ice formation was measured for Hedera helix L. cv. Thorndale (English ivy) bark exposed to -10 C. The cooling rate of bark exposed to -10 C was 31 C per minute. The water efflux rate required for ice formation to occur extracellularly was calculated from the rate of ice formation and the average cell diameter. The water potential difference driving the efflux of water to sites of extracellular ice was calculated from the sample temperature, osmotic water potential, and fraction of water frozen at a given freezing temperature. From the water efflux rate and water potential difference, the resistance of the barrier controlling movement of intracellular water to sites of extracellular ice was calculated. Comparison of the resistance of this barrier to water movement with the resistance of the cell membrane revealed that the membrane represented only 0.5% of the barrier resistance. Thus, membrane resistance can have little influence on the rate of water efflux and ice formation when bark is cooled at a rate of 31 C per minute. If ice formation occurred at the same rate in ivy bark as it occurred in a 10 mm MnCl(2) solution, the membrane resistance would still have represented only 1% of the resistance of the barrier to ice formation. Therefore, at a cooling rate of 31 C/minute, heat removal plays a large part in determining the rate of ice formation. At slower cooling rates experienced under natural freezing conditions the ability to remove heat would play an even larger role. It is concluded that under natural freezing conditions membrane resistance does not limit water efflux.