Fire as a regeneration filter in the Arctic: effects of heat and smoke on seed germination in 25 common plant species
Abstract
Background and Aims: The rapid warming of the Arctic is increasing the frequency, intensity and spatial extent of fires. Because fire has historically been rare in this region, most Arctic plant species are unlikely to have evolved traits that confer tolerance to fire, and the consequences for early life-history stages, such as seed germination, remain largely unknown. Here, we tested experimentally the effects of two key fire-related cues, heat shock and smoke exposure, on the germination traits of 25 widespread Arctic plant species.
Methods: Seeds collected across the Arctic were subjected to four treatments: (1) high heat (110 °C for 4 min, simulating surface fire exposure); (2) low heat (50 °C for 10 min, simulating soil seed bank conditions); (3) smoke water produced from Arctic plant biomass; and (4) a combination of low heat and smoke water. We analysed germination responses at three levels: overall, across functional groups (forbs, graminoids and woody species) and at the species level.
Key Results: The high-heat treatment almost completely inhibited germination, reducing the final percentage of germination from ∼78 to ∼2 %, with only three species showing any germination, two of them graminoids. Low-heat treatment produced no overall or functional-group changes in final germination but reduced germination speed and germination synchrony in 20 % of the species. Smoke water did not alter the final germination percentage but accelerated overall germination speed by ∼9–11 %.
Conclusions: Together, these results suggest that most Arctic species are not adapted to survive the temperatures experienced at or near the soil surface during fires; however, buried seeds might remain viable after low heating and be stimulated by smoke, creating an ecological filter that favours species with persistent soil seed banks. As Arctic fires become more frequent and intense, seed-based regeneration will be likely to play a growing role in shaping post-fire recovery and will influence the diversity and composition of plant communities.
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BibTeX
@article{vazquezramirez2026fire,
title = {{Fire as a regeneration filter in the Arctic: effects of heat and smoke on seed germination in 25 common plant species}},
author = {Jerónimo Vázquez-Ramírez and Margherita Tognela and Natasha de Vere and Barbara Gawlak and Julia Kemppinen and Daniel Kępski and David Kniha and Simone Iris Lang and Petr Macek and Maija Sujala and Otso Suominen and Anne Tolvanen and Brandon Samuel Whitley and Sergey Rosbakh},
journal = {Annals of Botany},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1093/aob/mcag236},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag236},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Fire as a regeneration filter in the Arctic: effects of heat and smoke on seed germination in 25 common plant species
AU - Jerónimo Vázquez-Ramírez
AU - Margherita Tognela
AU - Natasha de Vere
AU - Barbara Gawlak
AU - Julia Kemppinen
AU - Daniel Kępski
AU - David Kniha
AU - Simone Iris Lang
AU - Petr Macek
AU - Maija Sujala
AU - Otso Suominen
AU - Anne Tolvanen
AU - Brandon Samuel Whitley
AU - Sergey Rosbakh
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/14
JO - Annals of Botany
DO - 10.1093/aob/mcag236
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcag236
AB - Background and Aims: The rapid warming of the Arctic is increasing the frequency, intensity and spatial extent of fires. Because fire has historically been rare in this region, most Arctic plant species are unlikely to have evolved traits that confer tolerance to fire, and the consequences for early life-history stages, such as seed germination, remain largely unknown. Here, we tested experimentally the effects of two key fire-related cues, heat shock and smoke exposure, on the germination traits of 25 widespread Arctic plant species. Methods: Seeds collected across the Arctic were subjected to four treatments: (1) high heat (110 °C for 4 min, simulating surface fire exposure); (2) low heat (50 °C for 10 min, simulating soil seed bank conditions); (3) smoke water produced from Arctic plant biomass; and (4) a combination of low heat and smoke water. We analysed germination responses at three levels: overall, across functional groups (forbs, graminoids and woody species) and at the species level. Key Results: The high-heat treatment almost completely inhibited germination, reducing the final percentage of germination from ∼78 to ∼2 %, with only three species showing any germination, two of them graminoids. Low-heat treatment produced no overall or functional-group changes in final germination but reduced germination speed and germination synchrony in 20 % of the species. Smoke water did not alter the final germination percentage but accelerated overall germination speed by ∼9–11 %. Conclusions: Together, these results suggest that most Arctic species are not adapted to survive the temperatures experienced at or near the soil surface during fires; however, buried seeds might remain viable after low heating and be stimulated by smoke, creating an ecological filter that favours species with persistent soil seed banks. As Arctic fires become more frequent and intense, seed-based regeneration will be likely to play a growing role in shaping post-fire recovery and will influence the diversity and composition of plant communities.
SN - 0305-7364
SN - 1095-8290
ER -