The objective of this study was to evaluate the ecological and applied aspects of temperature for seed germination of Brazilian tree species. The information obtained from secondary data for temperature effects on the seed germination of 272 Brazilian tree species was analyzed and the relationships between optimal temperature and the biome where the species occur and the species succession group were developed. Temperatures of 25 °C and 30 °C were the most favorable for seed germination and the optimal germination temperature was related to the biome where the species occur but not to its succession group. Based on these results, a temperature of 25 °C may be recommended for germination tests of Brazilian tree species which grow in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, and 30 °C for those species from the Amazon biome, except for species which have specific requirements of alternating temperatures for overcoming seed dormancy.
ecophysiology; seed analysis; forest species; dormancy; successional groups
