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Fire is an abiotic disturbance that regulates vegetation structure and biodiversity. Some plant species have adapted to fi re prone environments by evolving protective structures. Acrocomia aculeata (macaw palm) is widely distributed throughout tropical America, and is found in environments continuously infl uenced by anthropogenic fi re. We aimed to determine whether the fruit characteristics of A. aculeata enable seeds to resist the eff ects of fi re and also the consequent eff ects of fi re on fruit biometric traits and embryo viability. After a fi re event in a region of pastureforest transition, we marked 30 individuals of A. aculeata. Th e trees were separated by UPGMA analysis into 5 groups according to fi re exposure, ranging from trees with no exposure to trees with fruit completely exposed to fi re. Fruit exposure to high temperatures led to lower values in fruit fresh weight, length, density, and processable mass.Fire had no signifi cant eff ect on seed biometric variables, because of the structures of the fruit, including its lignifi ed endocarp and its insulating and mucilaginous mesocarp. Th ese structures helped to maintain the embryos viability by preventing oxidative damage. In conclusion, the fruit structure of the macaw palm may facilitate seed persistence, even when subject to increasingly frequent fi re events.

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