Serotinous Cone in Toaster Oven Time Lapse
submitted by Shirley_Burt
on 01/23/19
1
Serotiny is an adaptation of some plants to release seeds in response to an environmental trigger. Serotiny is expressed in lodgepole pine through its cones. In fire prone habitats, lodgepole pine cones are glued shut by resin. Heat from fires melts the resin allowing the cone scales to separate and release seeds. Since it’s not safe to watch a wildfire burn through lodgepole pines, I placed a tightly sealed serotinous cone from a lodgepole pine in a toaster oven to watch how it responded to temperature changes. Read more on my blog. fitznaturalist.com/2016/11/29/sometimes-indivuals-lose-while-species-win/
