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The heat shock generated by fire, breaks seed dormancy and allows for germination, and thus species recruitment, into the post-fire landscape. This mechanism is critical for species persistence through bushfires. Projects led by Sarah and Ryan characterise these heat thresholds (collectively known as the ‘pyro-thermal niche’) in many native plant species across Australia. Specific aims involve understanding the relationship between the pyro-thermal niche and fire regime, seed traits, and species phylogeny, alongside exploring the fundamental molecular mechanisms that contribute to seed persistence through extreme fire-related heat. This knowledge helps us understand how heat thresholds evolved under recurrent fire, and the trade-offs made to enable resilience under extreme temperatures.

 Tangney R, McInnes SJ, Dalziell EL, Cornwell WK, Miller BP, Auld TD, Ooi MKJ. 2025. Defining the pyro‐thermal niche: do seed traits, ecosystem type and phylogeny influence thermal thresholds in seeds with physical dormancy? New Phytologist 246: 1567-1582.