The seed germination dynamics of
Acacia nilotica
,
Bauhinia rufescens
,
Faidherbia albida
, and
Piliostigma reticulatum
were investigated over 28 days. Seeds were pretreated with concentrated sulfuric acid. Determined germination parameters included germination energy, germination period, germination capacity, germination inertia, and viability loss. Seeds exposed to sulfuric acid for extended periods (30, 40, 50, and 60 min) exhibited a higher germination rate (α = 0.05). For
A. nilotica
seeds, the 50 min acid treatment resulted in the highest germination energy of 85.5% and germination capacity of 89.5% (
P
= 0.001); conversely, the 60-min treatment yielded the highest germination energy and capacity, both 96.5% (
P
= 0.079), for
P. reticulatum
. In the case of
B. rufescens
, the 30-min treatment led to the highest germination energy of 93% and germination capacity of 88% (
P
= 0.001). For
F. albida
, all acid treatments resulted in 100% for both germination energy and germination capacity (
P
= 0.621). Viability losses for
A. nilotica
and
P. reticulatum
were higher (32 and 30%, respectively) than those for
B. rufescens
and
F. albida
, which were 19.5 and 6%, respectively (
P
= 0.000). Generally, higher germination energy resulted in lower viability loss, dependent on the species. Analyses of germination inertia and viability loss suggest that seeds of
A. nilotica
and
P. reticulatum
possess a greater ability to survive in arid land climates than those of
B. rufescens
and
F. albida
. However, due to the advantage of lower viability loss,
B. rufescens
and
F. albida
should be preferred for the natural restoration of arid land ecosystems where seed availability is a major concern.