Table 2.
Dormancy syndromes present in fireprone ecosystems, and their main ecological characteristics (for more details see the main text and Table S1)
| Dormancy syndromes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat‐released dormancy | Smoke‐released dormancy | Non‐fire‐released dormancy | Non‐dormancy | |
| Benefit | Environmental matching | Environmental matching | Bet‐hedging | Quick establishment, granivory avoidance |
| Selection driver | Postfire vegetation gaps | Postfire vegetation gaps | Fire‐independent vegetation gaps | Reliable environmental conditions |
| Response trait | Fire‐stimulated germination | Fire‐stimulated germination | Heat tolerance, seed longevity | – |
| Seed properties | Long‐lived, impermeable, hard | Long‐lived, permeable | Long‐lived | Short‐lived |
| Basic dormancy type | Physical | Physiological | Variable | – |
| Dormancy release mechanism | Fire heat | Chemicals from combustion | Moisture, warmth | – |
| Ancillary promoters | Smoke, scarification | Ash, scarification, heat, light/dark | Seed decay, temperature stratification | – |
| Annual response | No germination (dormant) | No germination (dormant) | Germinates or remains dormant | Germination or seed mortality |
| Dormancy release | Abrupt | Abrupt | Gradual | – |
| Imposed dormancy | Strong | Weak | Variable | Weak |
| Peak in seedling numbers | Postfire | Postfire | Postfire, any time | Unrelated to fire |
| Fire response | High germination | High germination | Low germination | Seed mortality |
| Environments a | Mediterranean, warm temperate | Mediterranean, warm temperate | Savannas, cool temperate (non‐fireprone) | Rainforests, deserts, saline/rocky habitats |
| Fire regime | Moderately frequent crown fires | Moderately frequent crown fires | Rare or frequent surface fires | Rarely burns |
| Heat and smoke responses b | H+S+, H+S* | H+S+, H*S+ | H*S* | H–S*, H*S–, H–S– |
| Prominent examples | Most Fabaceae, Cistaceae, Malvaceae | Many Lamiaceae, Rutaceae, Ericaceae, Poaceae | Some Fabaceae, Poaceae, Polygalaceae | Obligate resprouters, fleshy‐fruited, shade‐tolerant species |
–, does not apply.
a
Environments where the type is most prominent; species with non‐dormant seeds may occur under any environment and fire regime, including fireprone ecosystems (e.g. obligate resprouters in mediterranean or savanna ecosystems).
b
See Fig. S11 for details. Dormancy released (+), inhibited (−) or unaffected (*) by heat (H) or smoke (S).