PLSC 213 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Seed Dispersal, Germination, Diaspore
Document Summary
Five steps required for a plant to achieve a reproductive tness bene t. Germination: conditions are good enough to germinate. Gravity: the seed drops o the parent plant and roll or fall. Projectile: assists gravitational force by projecting the seed out of the pod. Seeds eaten, carried in gut, and excreted intact. Animal in generally consuming an attractive fruit surrounding the seed. Di erent from seed herbivore (where seed is actively shelled or chewed and digested) Scari cation of seed by stomach acids / grinding in crop important to induce or encourage germination. Can be viewed as a plant animal neutralism. Often leads to important disperser animal - plant co-evolution (a friendly arms race) Seed is incases in the fruit, and the animals want the fruit. Blue berries have an advantage of eating blueberries because the plant produces seeds in the fruit which requires scari cation to germinate again.
