This study was conducted to compare physiological responses of Pinus densiflora, Populus ${ imes}$ tomentiglandulosa, Quercus acutissima and Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus exposed to SO$_2$, by measuring photosynthetic pigment contents and SOD activity. Four woody plants were exposed to relatively high SO$_2$ concentration (500 ppb, 800 ppb) for 8h day$^{-1}$ for 7 days in a chamber. Photosynthetic pigment contents in the leaves of four species decreased with increase of SO$_2$ concentration; also chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total carotenoid content were significantly different among tree species and treatments. The ratio of chlorophyll b to chlorophyll a of E. sessiliflorus and Q. acutissima increased for 500 ppb treatment but decreased at 800 ppb. This result showed that chlorophyll a was destroyed by 500 ppb SO$_2$ and chlorophyll b by 800 ppb SO$_2$. Therefore, the sensitivity of chlorophyll a to SO$_2$ may be higher than that of chlorophyll b. SOD activity differed significantly between species and treatments. SOD activity of E. sessiliflorus and Q. acutissima increased at 500 ppb but decreased at 800 ppb, but P. densiflora and P ${ imes}$tomentiglandulosa maintained high SOD activity at both 500 ppb and 800 ppb. Based on the photosynthetic pigment contents and SOD activity in the leaves of four tree species, the tolerance of P. ${ imes}$ tomentiglandulosa to SO$_2$ was the highest of four tree species.