Background : Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is a multi-year-cultivated plant that causes many insects and disease damage during the growing season. The Ginseng Rain-sheltered Shade House is one of the efficient cultivation techniques as reducing the damages caused by natural disaster such as blight, high temperature & humidity, dry, and heavy rain & snow. This study was conducted to investigate the growth characteristics of 4-years-old ginseng using rain-sheltered shade house suitable shading materials for the Gyeongsangbuk-do. Methods and Results : The rain-sheltered shade house shading materials were PE film with layered polyethylene net 90%, Light diffusion film with layered polyethylene net 75%, blue-white duplicated film. In order to determine proper shading materials of the rain-sheltered shade house, ginseng growth characteristics such as plant length, stem diameter, leaf length, root length and root diameter were investigated at 4-years-old ginseng. As a result, the evaluations of aerial part growth by measurements were good in the following order: PE film + polyethylene net 90%, Blue-white duplicated film and light diffusion film + polyethylene net 75%. The evaluations of root weight by measurements were heavy in the following order: Blue-white duplicated film, PE film + polyethylene net 90% and light diffusion film + polyethylene net 75%. The net photosynthetic rate was higher in blue-white duplicated film than other shading materials treatments during growth season including summer high-temperature period. Conclusion : In the 4-years-old ginseng cultivation in Gyeongsangbuk-do using the rain-sheltered shade house, aerial part growth in PE film + polyethylene net 90% was better than other shading materials. In addition, root weight in Blue-white duplicated film was heavier than other shading materials. It will be possible to know which shading material is the most suitable for Gyeongsangbuk-do area after further growth.

We investigated traditional knowledge about ethnobotanical uses around national parks in the northern areas of Province Gyeongsangbuk-do, with the focus on the Sobeaksan National Park area. Interviews were carried out to 138 residents at 42 places from 7 counties and/or cities, and verified species and usage information were categorized by taxonomic groups, usage, and used parts. The ethnobotanical species of the regions consisted of a total of 277 taxa: 244 species, 3 subspecies, 28 varieties, and 2 forma in 213 genera of 79 families. The significant native plants included one Endangered Species (Paeonia obovata Max.) and four endemic species (Salix hallaisanensis H. Lev., Aconitum pseudolaeve Nakai, Paulownia coreana Uyeki, and Cirsium setidens (Dunn) Nakai, Sasa coreana Nakai). About 17 Approved Species for Delivering Overseas designated by Korea Ministry of Environment have been also traditionally valuable in the regions. The main usage of the plants were edible (185 taxa) and medicinal (175 taxa). Leaves were most commonly used parts (109 taxa), followed by stems (73 taxa), fruits (69 taxa), roots (67 taxa), and wholes (57 taxa). The traditional usage of plants were diverse as those useful parts. Leaves, fruits and seeds were used as edible and medicinal; sprouts (young shoots) were mainly used as edible; but roots and flowers were used as medicinal. The study does not only provides examples of traditional uses of native plants, but also facilitates sustainable managements and developments of ethnobotanical knowledge for the contemporary society.