Protea

Protea species dominate South Africa's fynbos ecosystem - one of the world's most fire-prone landscapes, burning every 10-20 years for millions of years. Like Australian banksias (their distant relatives from Gondwanan times), proteas split into two strategies: reseeders that die in fire and rely on serotinous seeds, and resprouters that regenerate from underground lignotubers. Each strategy represents a different bet on fire frequency.

Reseeders invest everything in seed production and protection. Their woody seed heads can survive fire intact, releasing seeds into the post-fire environment. But if fire comes too frequently - before plants mature enough to produce seeds - reseeder populations crash. If fire is suppressed too long, accumulated fuel creates fires too hot for even protected seeds to survive.

Resprouters sacrifice some seed production for survival insurance. Their lignotubers - swollen underground stems packed with dormant buds and stored carbohydrates - survive even intense fires. When the above-ground plant burns, the lignotuber activates, sending up new shoots within weeks. The same genetic individual can survive dozens of fires across centuries.

The business insight is that fire frequency determines optimal strategy. In environments with frequent disruption, resprouting capability (organizational resilience, quick recovery) beats reseeding (hoping the next generation will thrive). In environments with rare but intense disruption, heavy investment in protected seeds (R&D, strategic options) beats resilience investments that may never be tested.