SEED DISPERSAL

 
SEED DISPERSAL

In the creation of the heavens and Earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people’s benefit, and the water which God sends down from the sky – by which He brings the Earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind – and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and Earth, there are signs for people who use their intellect. (Qur’an, 2:164)


Until now, you may never have wondered how plants, fixed life forms that are not capable of movement, manage to distribute their seeds. However, since the time plants came into existence, they have managed to distribute their seeds by various means, without the need for any assistance or intervention.

After pollinated flowers form seeds, some of these fall to the ground beside the plant. Other species’ seeds are carried by the wind, or stick to the fur of animals and are distributed in this way. But this summary of seed dispersion systems is quite superficial, for when you get down to the details, you can see that the lives of plants and animals are directly connected in a number of interesting ways.

Each plant’s seed has a different shape. From the shape of a seed or fruit, it’s possible to determine what kind of journey it has made – that is, how it’s been distributed. Some trees, for instance, have fruits that are colorful, fleshy, soft, and pleasant smelling. These trees, whose seed coats are tough enough to be resistant to digestive juices, attract birds and other animals. Other species’ seeds have needles, hooks or thorns that snag and get caught in the fur of animals, who transport them in this way. Still others travel on the wind, like so many feathers. Others have wings or swell like small balloons to help them catch the wind. Such seeds have to be light enough and of a suitable shape for flight. On the other hand, some plants simply let their seeds fall to the ground as the seed case splits as it dries in the sun, while others eject or propel their seeds, through the tension created in the seedpod while the seeds are growing.



Source: Harun Yahya