Dispersal of Seeds

Dispersal of Seeds
Dispersal of
Seeds
To avoid growing very close to each other, plants take help of agents like
wind, water or animals to scatter their seeds. These agents carry the seeds
and scatter them away from the parent plant.

Dispersal Agents
Dispersal of
Seeds
The process by which the seeds are scattered from the parent plant
is called dispersal. The process of dispersal is carried out by agents like
wind, water, animals and explosion.

Dispersal of Seeds
Dispersal of
Seeds
In order to facilitate dispersal by different agents, many seeds and fruit have
special features.

Dispersal by Wind
Dispersal of
Seeds
Wind – The seeds of plants like cotton, sycamore and dandelion are very light
and have either wings or hair on them. These features enable them to be easily
carried away by wind.

Dispersal by Wind
Dispersal of
Seeds
Wind – The seeds of plants like cotton, sycamore and dandelion are very light
and have either wings or hair on them. These features enable them to be easily
carried away by wind.

Dispersal by Water
Dispersal of
Seeds
Water – The seeds or fruit of plants growing in water are either spongy or fibrous. This
enables them to float on water. Water then carries them to different places. For example,
coconut and lotus fruit and seeds of mangrove plants are carried away by water.

Dispersal by Animals
Dispersal of
Seeds
Animals – Human beings and animals eat fleshy fruits like apples, mangoes, etc., and throw
away their seeds in different places. These germinate into new plants on getting
appropriate condition of growth. Similarly, birds eat fruit and swallow their seeds. The
undigested seeds then come out as it is in their faeces and germinate into new plants.

Dispersal by Animals
Dispersal of
Seeds
Some seeds have sticky hair, bristles, hooks or barbs. These get transported by
sticking to the fur of the animals or even to the clothes of human beings.

Dispersal by Explosion
Dispersal of
Seeds
Explosion – Some fruits scatter their seeds by exploding the seedpods. When the
seeds are ripe and the pods have dried, it bursts open and then the seeds are
scattered. For example, pods of squirting cucumber spread their seeds by explosion.

This presentation is a result of my experiences while I was
helping out my son with his school assignments and project
work. I am happy to share this with other students and their
parents. Hope you find this informative and useful. Thank you.
- Prashant Mahajan -
All pictures belong to their original authors, photographers.