The present note presents and explains the results of a study dealing with the germination of seeds subjected to heat. Seeds of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra ssp. pallasiana) were exposed to a range of temperatures (70, 90, 110, 130, and 150°C) for different exposure times (1 and 5 min). Germination rates were similar for all treatments and control at 1 min exposure for Anatolian black pine seeds, and almost no germination took place for all treatments at 5 min exposure. Similar results were obtained for Scots pine seeds, with the exception of a sharp decrease in the number of seeds germinated above 110°C. The effect of increasing the exposure time to 5 min was immediate, and no germination took place above 90°C. Results obtained indicate that seeds of the two species do not necessarily need fire for successful regeneration, but fires may have a positive effect on the germination by removing crown cover, thereby providing more light for the seeds deposited to the ground.
Variation in Cone and Seed Characteristics in Three Populations of Anatolian Black Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) in Turkey