A light requirement for germination, observed in virtually all taxa examined, constitutes a collective characteristic of the family. It is postulated that smaller seeded taxa might germinate only on the soil surface or at shallow depths, while larger seeded species might additionally germinate when buried in the soil if cued to do so by fluctuating temperatures.

Masting and regeneration dynamics were investigated in a long-term perspective using Abies cephalonica as a study tree species. Extensive fieldwork was implemented in Parnitha National Park, Greece, following a large-scale wildfire. Annual cone production was monitored for a 5-year period in 130 tagged trees, in 13 plots with 10 individuals each, established both within the unburned part of the forest and in surviving fragments of the burned area. In the most recent masting year, a high percentage (88%) of cone-bearing trees was recorded, along with a sizeable, average cone production (40.8 cones per tree). In the intermediate, non-masting years, the corresponding values ranged from 2% to 55% and 0.08 to 5.9 cones per tree, respectively. The reproduction process is affected by both tree density and regional climatic conditions, in particular temperature during spring of the maturation year and precipitation during spring and summer of the previous year. For the first time according to our knowledge, natural regeneration was recorded for a 4-year period, in 13 permanent transects within the monitoring plots, in relation with a masting event and the additional implications of a preceding wildfire. Highest mean density of seedlings and saplings (11.4 per m2) was observed during the first spring after masting. In the non-masting years, the corresponding value ranged from 2.1 to 2.9 per m2. Seedling survival during their first summer was considerable (30–76%) but stabilized afterwards (1–3 years) at a lower level (10–20%). The particular post-masting seedling flush was followed by an extremely high mortality rate (88.6%) and cannot represent a major recruitment event.

Abies cephalonica cone and seed morphometric characteristics as well as seed germination behaviour were investigated during an 8-year-long diachronic study (2007–2015). The research was carried out in Parnitha National Park, in the part of this Greek endemic, silver fir population that was spared from an unprecedented wildfire (2007). A statistically significant interannual and among-tree variation of cone traits has been identified, except for cone diameter. Cone length is correlated to the number of seeds per cone, while the percentage of empty seeds has been consistently high, with extreme values of 29.3 and 81.8% in a masting (2015) and lean crop (2009) year, respectively. There is also a considerable proportion of dead (including infected) and non-germinated seeds, and the eventual germinable fraction is well below 25% with spikes in masting years (39.4 and 60.9% in 2010 and 2015, respectively). Untreated seeds have been tested at a wide range of constant and alternating temperatures and germination is completed within 4–5 weeks at T ≥ 15°C and ca 15 weeks at 5–10°C. A chilling pretreatment of 4–8 weeks (at 2–4°C) concludes germination at 15–20°C within 2 weeks. A significant white light requirement has been observed for untreated seeds at 15–20°C, while germination was light indifferent at lower or higher temperatures. Data obtained in this study confirm the present, field seed germination during springtime; we may also predict an earlier germination (late autumn to mid-winter) in forest gaps, under the predicted, warmer conditions in the future.

Abstract. The aim of the study is the consolidation of a methodology suitable for organizing, utilizing and visualizing information regarding species distribution provided as text in historical sources. The work of the French Scientific Expedition in 1829 in Peloponnese, Greece, was used as a case study. We propose a system organized in three geographical levels: for information referring to a certain locality the form of a grid is appropriate, otherwise polygons depicting historical administrative areas or the whole region of Peloponnese should be preferred. There are three important caveats to avoid. First, species presence referring to an administrative area or region does not equal with presence in every locality and should not be transferred to the level of grid mapping, respectively reference of presence in the region should not be transferred to the administrative units’ level. Second, historical sources refer to species names that often are no longer valid; this kind of data must be referred to currently valid species names. Third, absence of reference of species presence should not be misinterpreted as absence of the species.