Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions

Bradshaw, Don; Dixon, Kingsley W.; Hopper, Stephen D.; Lambers, Hans; Turner, Shane R.

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2010.10.007

Cited by 170 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…and E. penduliflora, respond to both karrikinolide and glyceronitrile, and yet others, such as Stylidium affine, respond better to karrikinolide. The different chemical properties of karrikinolide (1) and glyceronitrile (2) suggest that plant seeds may have evolved independent, or even multiple, mechanisms to detect and respond to wildfires, and unravelling these responses may provide a basis for understanding evolutionary adaptations of plants to fire.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Burning vegetation produces cyanohydrins that liberate cyanide and stimulate seed germination

et al. 2011

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Cyanide is well known for its toxicity towards living organisms. many plants use cyanide as a defensive agent against herbivores, releasing it through the enzymatic hydrolysis of endogenous cyanogenic compounds. At low concentrations, cyanide has been proposed to have a regulatory role in many plant processes including stimulation of seed germination. However, no ecological role for cyanide in seed germination has been established. In the present study, we show that burning plant material produces the cyanohydrin, glyceronitrile. We also show that, in the presence of water, glyceronitrile is slowly hydrolysed to release cyanide that stimulates seed germination of a diverse range of fire-responsive species from different continents. We propose that glyceronitrile serves as an ecological store for cyanide and is an important cue for stimulating seed germination and landscape regeneration after fires.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…F ire is a global ecological phenomenon known to influence plant growth and diversity in a range of ecosystems 1,2 . Smoke derived from burning plant material is a key agent responsible for promoting seed germination following fire 3 and increases seed germination of an estimated 1,200 phylogenetically diverse plant species 4 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Burning vegetation produces cyanohydrins that liberate cyanide and stimulate seed germination

et al. 2011

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“…Seed responses to fire might be actually exaptations, instead of adaptations sensu stricto. In other words, heat-induced traits did not properly evolve related to fire as a selective pressure, being result of a 'shift' in its function through the evolutionary process in seasonal ecosystems (Bradshaw et al 2011). Santana et al (2013) showed that seeds of Ulex parviflorus had their dormancy broken when exposed to daily fluctuating temperatures, arguing that fire was not the main factor affecting plant germination.…”

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To resist or to germinate? The effect of fire on legume seeds in Brazilian subtropical grasslands

2016

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Fire plays an important role in several grassland ecosystems in the world. Fire can trigger germination in several species, by breaking the physical dormancy of their seeds. Thus, we hypothesized that exposure to high temperatures during fire would break seed dormancy and enhance germination. We tested the effect of high temperatures on the germination of six species of legumes from Brazilian subtropical grasslands. We used heat shock experiments with the following treatments: 60, 90, 120 and 150ºC for one minute. Seeds were then placed to germinate for 60 days in 12/12 hours light/dark and 20/30ºC. Germination was generally low for all study species. Most species was not affected by heat shock treatments. However, Stylosanthes montevidensis was the only species that had its physical dormancy broken when exposed to 120ºC. The seeds of all the other species were neither stimulated nor killed by high temperatures. Although the exposure to high temperatures did not affect the germination of the study species (except for one), it also did not kill seeds, thereby showing that seeds are resistant to fire. Therefore, the rapid passage of fire in these grasslands is not sufficient to break the dormancy of most of the studied species of legumes.

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“…Furthermore, the lignified fruit structures in macaw palm do not limit seed imbibition or promote physical dormancy (Ribeiro et al 2011;Bicalho et al 2015). Besides certain fruit traits might be advantageous in fire-prone environments, there was no evidence that fire is a selective agent for fruit traits in the macaw palm, as detected for other plant species (Bradshaw et al 2011). The strategy of enclosing the seeds in a lignified covering, such as the endocarp of the macaw palm, is related to the protection of seeds against seed-eaters and, occasionally, against the eventual exposure of seeds to intense fire (Orians & Milewski 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Do the structures of macaw palm fruit protect seeds in a fire-prone environment?

et al. 2016

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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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Little evidence for fire-adapted plant traits in Mediterranean climate regions

Cited by 170 publications

References 76 publications

Burning vegetation produces cyanohydrins that liberate cyanide and stimulate seed germination

Burning vegetation produces cyanohydrins that liberate cyanide and stimulate seed germination

To resist or to germinate? The effect of fire on legume seeds in Brazilian subtropical grasslands

Do the structures of macaw palm fruit protect seeds in a fire-prone environment?

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