Are germination cues for soil-stored seed banks different in structurally different fire-prone communities?

Abstract

Many plant species are dependent on soil-stored seeds for their persistence in fire-prone systems. Seed germination is often stimulated by fire-related cues including heat and smoke, but the way these cues promote germination may differ between structurally distinct plant communities with historically different fire regimes. In this study, we examined the effects of heat, smoke and their interactions on the germination of soil-stored seeds from shrubby woodlands and herbaceous forests in south-east Australia. The effect of these treatments on species richness, diversity and composition, and species richness and density of germinants within life-forms (grass, forb and shrub) were assessed. So..