Seed Germination Responses of Different Functional Groups to Aerosol smoke and Smoke water Treatments

Fire is one of the determinant disturbances affecting vegetation structures and functions. Post fire vegetation recovery is influenced by fire derived smoke influencing seed germination. This influence could play an important role in vegetation restoration. This study aim on understanding plant functional types responses to different smoke treatments. Therefore, we collected soils for study area and different smoke treatments were applied. In order to simulate smoke two smoke water concentration (1:500 and 1.1000 v:v) and also two aerosol smoke ( 15 and 30 min) were selected. According to our results aerosol smoke with average 291.48 ± 17.26 seeds (Seedling/ sample) had positive and smoke water with 187.51 ± 11.40 (Seedling/ sample) had negative influence on seed germination. Brachypodium pinnatum had the highest germination among study species. 15 min aerosol smoke with average 320.92 ± 40.28 seeds (Seedling/ sample) had the highest germination. Positive influence of aerosol smoke compare to smoke water could be due to direct effect of smoke and germination enhancement.