Seeds – the means of dispersal
by Chris, 19 October, 2018, 1 comments
In general, as plants are fixed in place, they have a bit of a problem when it comes to reproduction. That is, exchanging genetic material with one another and then ensuring that their offspring can establish themselves away from the parents so that they are not in direct competition. Some plants have solved this by using the wind to move pollen and/or seeds (anemochory), some use water (hydrochory) and many others have ‘entered into associations’ with animals.
The list of animals providing ‘assistance’ is quite varied. In the case of pollen, transfer is achieved by beetles, bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, hummingbirds, fruit bats, moths etc. The dispersal of seeds by animals is known as zoochory. Read more...
