Efeitos de altas temperaturas na germina？？o de sementes de capim-dourado (Syngonanthus nitens (Bong.) Ruhland, Eriocaulaceae): implica？？es para o manejo

this study aimed to assess the effects of fire on germination of golden-grass (syngonanthus nitens (bong.) ruhland, eriocaulaceae) seeds. seeds collected in jalap？o (tocantins, brazil) were exposed to heat shock treatments at 60 oc, 100 oc, 150 oc and 200 oc, for 1', 3', and 5'. for each treatment and control five replications were used (20 seeds each). seeds were put on petri dishes and placed inside germination chambers set at 28 oc, 12h/12h, for 40 days. germination rates were analyzed by two-factorial anova, using randomization tests. most treatments showed high germination rates (>85%), except for 200oc/3' (50%), and 200oc/5, which showed germination rates that were significantly lower (4.5%, p<0.05). the results indicated that s. nitens seeds were not stimulated or killed by high temperatures, except when an extreme temperature and time of exposure were combined (200oc/5'). when wet grasslands burn, where s. nitens grows, the fire passes very quickly over the area and the temperature during the fire may not exceed 150oc. under these conditions, our results suggest that s. nitens seeds can potentially survive most fires. these findings are essential for making management recommendations for this species, which has high commercial value.