Does fire break the dormancy and enhance the germination of Cerrado species?

• Grant number: 12/24240-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): December 01, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Applied Botany
• Principal researcher: Alessandra Tomaselli Fidelis
• Grantee: Heloiza Lourenço Zirondi
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Fire is a natural process integrated with many ecosystem functions. Fire is present in the Cerrado ecosystem and leads to changes in the dynamics, structure, and composition of plant communities. Therefore, studies regarding plant mechanisms for persisting in fire-prone ecosystems are extremely important. This study intends to evaluate the effects of fire on the germination of seeds of Fabaceae and Melastomataceae species by conducting heat and smoke treatments. Seeds will be exposed to temperatures between 60° and 200° for different periods of time (1 and 5 minutes). To evaluate the effects of smoke on germination, seeds will be exposed to a liquid solution of smoke in different concentrations (1:1 and 1:10). We hypothesize that smoke treatment will enhance the germination of seeds containing permeable seed coats (Melastomataceae) and that heat treatments will enhance the germination of seeds containing impermeable seed coats (Fabaceae). These results will improve our understanding regarding the germination of Cerrado species and will provide information for future management plans that intend to use fire as a management tool. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZIRONDI, HELOIZA L.; SILVEIRA, FERNANDO A. O.; FIDELIS, ALESSANDRA. Fire effects on seed germination: Heat shock and smoke on permeable vs impermeable seed coats. FLORA, v. 253, p. 98-106, APR 2019. Web of Science Citations: 1.