We recently published a framework of demographic mechanisms that may impact plant population responses to changes in fire seasonality [1]. This framework now includes eight mechanisms identified in [1,2] and further detailed in [3,4]. Subsequently, Cao et al. [5] have proposed that seed dormancy class, based on the dormancy classification scheme of Baskin and Baskin [6], should be recognised as an additional mechanism. Cao et al. [5] described for each seed dormancy class, how seed dormancy induction and loss, and germination timing, may be influenced by seasonal environmental cues (e.g., light and temperature) and, separately, how they interact with fire-related cues (e.g., heat and smoke). We agree that seed dormancy and germination traits are important to the regeneration of plants in fire-prone regions. However, as Cao et al. [5] do not identify how seed dormancy class determines seasonally varying resistant or vulnerable states required to create a fire seasonality effect beyond those already defined [1], it is not clear how dormancy class forms a new separate mechanism under a demographic framework.