WHAT IS SEED DISPERSAL? - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The seed dispersal is a process that occurs so natural after planting. This procedure consists of the movement and arrangement of the seeds with the sole purpose of finding and seeking the best circumstances for their growth and development.

Depending on the plant, its optimal conditions for flowering will be different. There are some types that cannot be close to other plants because between them, the nutrients necessary for development are stolen, in addition to light.

It is important to mention that seeds function as an entity that allows the growth and birth of new plants and, in turn, their fruits.

It can be compared to the birth of a human baby, where the seed resembles the embryo or the bag in which it stores the new life. Before producing fruit, a plant must flower and have a certain growth time.

Each seed has a structure and a small part called the diaspora and it is the main one in charge of seed dispersal. The diaspora varies depending on the plant and while in some it can be the size of a dust particle, in others it can weigh up to 25 kilograms.

Seed dispersal can be done in different ways and forms. In the first case, the seeds are dispersed by the wind; This is called anemocoria.

In other cases, the dispersion of the seeds occurs by the force of water, by the help of animals (zoocoria) or by propulsion or movement of the seed (autocoria).

Once it is clear that seed dispersal consists of moving them away from the “mother” plant to avoid growth conflicts and that each one can receive adequate nutrients, sunlight and vitamins, we will explain what are the different types of seed dispersal and what each of these processes consists of.

Seed dispersal by wind or anemochoria

This type of seed dispersal generally occurs with those that have a lower weight and are lighter. As their name implies, they are moved by the wind and carried as far as possible from the original plant.

In its structure, these types of seeds have a kind of parachute that when moving, allows them to fly and fall in a correct way and move them as far as possible.

There are other types of plants that instead of having these "parachutes" in their diasporas, they have a kind of wing that works more or less like a helicopter.

The advantage of this type of seed dispersal is that they can actually be carried long distances.

However, the problem is that during this process, many seeds can be lost and fall into infertile lands, where in the end they will not produce fruit or grow.

An example of plants that have seeds dispersed by the action of the wind are the well-known dandelions and all plants in the Asteraceae family.

Seed dispersion by water

Just as dispersal by wind occurs in less heavy seeds, seed dispersal by water occurs specifically in those diasporas and plants that have a natural habitat near some aquatic environment such as ponds, rivers, beaches.

Plants take advantage of their natural closeness to water and use it as a natural tool to move their seeds for better growth and development.

The process begins when the original plants, the progenitors, create some seed and it falls into the water. The seed remains floating in the water and moving constantly until one day it reaches a medium where it can grow.

The disadvantage of this type of dispersal is the same as the previous one: the seeds can reach an infertile land where they simply do not have the necessary nutrients for their development and will die.

A perfect example of the plants that carry out the dispersion of their seeds by the movement of water are coconut trees.

Seed dispersal by animals or zoocoria

On the other hand, there is the dispersal of seeds by help and movement of animals. This occurs mostly with animals that are frugivores (subgroup of herbivores).

Your digestive system processes food without problems, without causing havoc to the seeds of these fruits. Later they are excreted and thanks to this, the role of moving away from their “parent” plants is fulfilled.

This way of dispersing the seeds is considered to be safer than the previous ones and the plant has a greater chance of survival.

Another way to disperse seeds through the action of animals is when they adhere (unconsciously) to their fur, feathers or feet. When the animal moves and is transported, it takes the seed with it and leaves it far from where it got it.

Olives or fleshy fruits (such as peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, among others) are an example of plants that carry out the dispersal of their seeds by zoocoria.

Seed dispersal by self or autocoria action

Finally, there is a type of seed dispersal that is carried out by its own action and without the help of any type of external force. This is known as autocoria.

In these cases, what happens is that when the plant matures, it explodes like a kind of bomb and, in turn, the seeds that these fruits have are carried away and with the possibility of growing, maturing and developing without inconvenience.

Generally, what happens is that when the fruits grow so much, forces accumulate or a kind of tension that gives them all the propulsion to “explode” and send the seeds to other sides.

An example of this type of seed dispersal is usually the well-known devil's pickle plant, where the aforementioned occurs and its growth originates after the original plant sends the seeds very far and prevents mutual theft of nutrients.

It is one of the most fascinating cases of what nature can do without the intervention of any external agent.

References

1. Amico, GC, & Aizen, MA (2005). Seed dispersal by birds in a temperate forest of southern South America: who disperses whom ?. Austral Ecology, 15 (1), 89-100. Recovered from: scielo.org.ar.
2. Cain, ML, Milligan, BG, & Strand, AE (2000). Long-distance seed dispersal in plant populations. American Journal of Botany, 87 (9), 1217-1227. Recovered from: amjbot.org.
3. González, JG (1998). Seed dispersal by bats: its importance in the conservation and regeneration of the tropical forest. Acta Zoológica Mexicana (new series), (73), 57-74. Recovered from: redalyc.org
4. Howe, HF (1986). Seed dispersal by fruit-eating birds and mammals. Seed dispersal, 123, 189. Recovered from: books.google.com
5. Howe, HF, & Smallwood, J. (1982). Ecology of seed dispersal. Annual review of ecology and systematics, 13 (1), 201-228. Recovered from: annualreviews.org
6. Nathan, R., & Muller-Landau, HC (2000). Spatial patterns of seed dispersal, their determinants and consequences for recruitment. Trends in ecology & evolution, 15 (7), 278-285. Recovered from: sciencedirect.com
7. O'Dowd, DJ, & Gill, AM (1986). Seed dispersal syndromes in Australian Acacia. Seed dispersal, 87-121. Recovered from: books.google.com
8. Schupp, EW (1993). Quantity, quality and the effectiveness of seed dispersal by animals. In Frugivory and seed dispersal: ecological and evolutionary aspects (pp. 15-29). Springer Netherlands. Recovered from: link.springer.com.