Because plants cannot walk around and take their seeds to other places, they have

developed other methods to disperse (move) their seeds. The most common methods are
wind, water, animals, explosion and fire. Dandelion seeds float away in the wind.

Wind dispersal

Have you ever blown on a dandelion head and watched the seeds float away? This is wind
dispersal. Seeds from plants like dandelions, swan plants and cottonwood trees are light and
have feathery bristles and can be carried long distances by the wind. Some plants, like kauri
and maple trees, have ‘winged’ seeds. They don’t float away but flutter to the ground. With
wind dispersal, the seeds are simply blown about and land in all kinds of places. To help their
chances that at least some of the seeds land in a place suitable for growth, these plants have
to produce lots of seeds.

Water dispersal

Many plants have seeds that use water as a means of dispersal. The seeds float away from
the parent plant. Mangrove trees live in estuaries. If a mangrove seed falls during low tide, it
can begin to root in the soil. If the seeds fall in the water, they are carried away by the tide to
grow somewhere else. Kōwhai trees also use water dispersal. They have a hard seed coat
that allows them to float down streams and rivers. That is one of the reasons kōwhai trees
are commonly found on stream banks.

Animal dispersal

Over 70% of plants in our woody forests in New Zealand have fleshy fruit that is eaten by
birds. Chemicals in our native birds’ digestive systems help to weaken the tough coats
around these seeds. Birds often fly far away from the parent plant and disperse the seeds in
their droppings. The kererū, tūī and bellbird play an important role in seed dispersal. Trees
that produce the largest fruit – miro, pūriri, tawa and taraire – rely on the kererū because it
has such a large, wide beak to eat the fruit.

Seed Dispersal by Gravity

Gravity is a force of attraction that exists among all the objects in the universe.

As the fruits from the tree fall on the ground due to the force of attraction, they sometimes
roll down to some smaller distance, get buried in the soil after a few days and germinate into
a new plant.

In certain cases, fruits which do not have very hard seed coat may crack and open after falling
In some cases, the fallen fruit is carried by other agents like water, wind, birds or animal and
helps in the dispersion of seeds.

e plants cannot walk around and take their seeds to other places, they have developed other methods to
disperse (move) their seeds. The most common methods are wind, water, animals, explosion and fire.
Apples, Commelina, canna, coconuts, calabash, passion fruit are a few examples of plants
Dandelion seeds float away in the wind.
whose seeds are dispersed by Gravity – A force of attraction.
Wind dispersal

Have you ever blown on a dandelion head and watched the seeds float away? This is wind dispersal.
Seed Dispersal by Explosions
Seeds from plants like dandelions, swan plants and cottonwood trees are light and have feathery bristles
and can be carried long distances by the wind. Some plants, like kauri and maple trees, have ‘winged’
seeds. They don’t float away but flutter to the ground. With wind dispersal, the seeds are simply blown
Explosions in fruits
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places. bursting withchances
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these plantsinto
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of seeds. This type of seed dispersal is
mainly seen in those plants having pods.

Water dispersal
Okra, Lupins, gorse, and broom are a few examples of plants whose seeds are dispersed by
Many plantsPea
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dried. trees live in estuaries. If a mangrove seed falls during low tide, it can begin to root in
the soil. If the seeds fall in the water, they are carried away by the tide to grow somewhere else. Kōwhai
trees also use water dispersal. They have a hard seed coat that allows them to float down streams and
rivers. That is one of the reasons kōwhai trees are commonly found on stream banks.
This was some information on Seed Dispersal. Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more about in
detail about the Seeds, types of Seed and other related topics

Human activity is an increasingly important mechanism of plant dispersal.

Over 70% of plants in our woody forests in New Zealand have fleshy fruit that is eaten by birds.
Chemicals in our native birds’ digestive systems help to weaken the tough coats around these seeds.
Birds often fly far away from the parent plant and disperse the seeds in their droppings. The kererū, tūī
and bellbird play an important role in seed dispersal. Trees that produce the largest fruit – miro, pūriri,
tawa and taraire – rely on the kererū because it has such a large, wide beak to eat the fruit.

Seed Dispersal by Gravity

Gravity is a force of attraction that exists among all the objects in the universe.

As the fruits from the tree fall on the ground due to the force of attraction, they sometimes roll down to
some smaller distance, get buried in the soil after a few days and germinate into a new plant.

In certain cases, fruits which do not have very hard seed coat may crack and open after falling down
from a height, which leads to a better dispersion of seeds.

In some cases, the fallen fruit is carried by other agents like water, wind, birds or animal and helps in the
dispersion of seeds.

Apples, Commelina, canna, coconuts, calabash, passion fruit are a few examples of plants whose seeds
are dispersed by Gravity – A force of attraction.

Seed Dispersal by Explosions

Explosions in fruits literally refer to bursting with all its energy. In this case, as the fruits get ripened, it
shoots out its seeds into the external environment. This type of seed dispersal is mainly seen in those
plants having pods.

Okra, Lupins, gorse, and broom are a few examples of plants whose seeds are dispersed by Explosions.
Pea and bean plants also have pods and the seeds burst out when they ripen and pod has dried.

This was some information on Seed Dispersal. Stay tuned with BYJU’S to learn more about in detail about
the Seeds, types of Seed and other related topics

Human activity is an increasingly important mechanism of plant dispersal.