Gold mining occurs in four administrative regions in Ghana with tropical forest cover. Establishment of pioneer vegetation immediately after the mining process is one of the most important rehabilitation practices leading to land reclamation and eventual habitat restoration. A major environmental challenge is that post-mining vegetation sites are prone to wild forest fires that dry up the topsoil and produce a layer of ash on the soil surface. We experimentally tested the effect of post-fire ash and soil moisture on seed germination using the Black-eyed pea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) and Egusi (Citrullus colocynthis L.). The study focused on the potential for seed germination in ash under high and low moisture conditions within a greenhouse environment. The viable seeds of the two species were planted at depths
0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 cm. V unguiculata exhibited the highest germination percentage at 0.0 cm in both moisture treatments, but no germination occurred at 0.5 and 1.0 cm depth, showing that germination was considerably inhibited by the ash depth. C. colocynthis showed a comparatively longer dormancy period but with superior germination percentage at all 3 depths under wet conditions. Due to the lower seed germination rate for V. unguiculata under ash, the species might not be easily adapted to ash-covered soils. However, due to significantly higher germination rates under similar conditions, C. colocynthis could potentially be adapted for post-mine vegetation restoration after the occurrence of wild forest fires. © 2012 Academic Journals Inc.