Dvala

Dvala is a term used in Swedish and Finnish to denote dormancy, a reversible state of low metabolic activity or growth that allows organisms to survive unfavorable conditions. In biology it is most often applied to seeds, buds, spores, or animals.

In plants, dormancy prevents germination during seasons that are not conducive to seedling survival. Seeds can be in physical (exogenous) or physiological dormancy, and breaking dormancy may require stratification (periodic cold), changes in light exposure, or after-ripening. In temperate climates, buds may remain dormant through winter and resume growth in spring when conditions improve.

In insects and other animals, dormancy can take the form of diapause, a hormonally controlled pause in development that helps synchronize life cycles with environmental conditions. Dormancy is distinct from hibernation in that it generally refers to reduced metabolic activity across tissues rather than a specific behavioral pattern, and it can occur in a wide range of organisms, including those not classed as animals.

Dormancy is often reversible and is usually triggered by environmental cues such as temperature, moisture, or nutrient status. It has important ecological and evolutionary roles, enabling persistence through fluctuating climates and disturbances, and it influences population dynamics, species distributions, and interactions within ecosystems.

In applied contexts, understanding dormancy is important in agriculture and horticulture. Seed banks and crop management rely on knowledge of dormancy-breaking requirements to achieve uniform germination and successful cultivation, while weed control programs must account for seeds that remain dormant for extended periods.

Outside biology, the word is sometimes used metaphorically to describe systems or processes that are temporarily inactive or paused, awaiting favorable conditions for reactivation.