Question

Name any three agents of dispersal of seeds.

Answer 1

Hint: Seeds dispersal is the spreading of seeds away from the parent plants by different agents to allow better survival of the offsprings.

Complete answer:
The agents of dispersal of seeds are wind, water, animals, gravity and explosion.

Additional Information:
Wind dispersal: The wind is the natural and primary means by which seeds are dispersed. Such type of dispersal is mainly observed in those plants which produce very light seeds. Example: drumsticks, orchid plant, dandelions, ash, puya, willowherb.

Water dispersal: In such mode of seed dispersal, seeds float away from their origin plant. These are chiefly found in those plants which live within the water or nearby the water bodies like beaches, lakes, ponds etc. Example: coconut, palm, mangroves, water lily, water mint.

Animals dispersal: There are different ways in which animals and birds disperse the seeds. Few animals and birds eat the entire fruit and only the juicy part is digested by their system and the seeds are excreted out with their droppings. There are a few plants which have seeds with hooks that catch on the fur of animals and are carried away to different places. Example: Blackberry, cherry, tomato, Burdock.

Gravity dispersal: As the fruits fall on the ground from the tree due to the force of gravity, they seldom roll down to some smaller distance, get buried in the soil and germinate into a new plant. Example: Apples, canna, coconuts, passion fruit.

Explosion dispersal: Explosions in fruits actually suggest bursting of fruits with all its energy. In such mode, as the fruits get ripened, it shoots out its seeds into the external environment like in okra, Lupins, gorse, and broom.

Note: Seed dispersal is very important for the survival chances of the plant. It can be beneficial mainly in escape from density-dependent seedling mortality, i.e. death due to overcrowding and also to find places with better conditions.