How do serotinous cones of lodgepole pines open after a wildfire?

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Stone pine trees with rounded canopies stand amid low shrubs and flowering yellow bushes in Donana National Park, Huelva province, Andalusia, Spain. — pine A stand of stone pines (*Pinus pinea*) in Doñana National Park near Seville, Spain.

Lodgepole pines (Pinus contorta) produce serotinous cones that are sealed shut with resin, allowing them to persist on the tree for many years.12

These cones are specifically adapted to fire-prone environments. When a wildfire occurs, the intense heat physically melts the resin that seals the cone scales. Once the resin has melted, the cones open, allowing the seeds to be dispersed into the surrounding soil. This process is highly beneficial for the species, as it deposits seeds into ash-fertilized soil that has been cleared of competing understory plants, providing an ideal environment for new seedlings to establish themselves.12