Plant Adaptations for Reproduction

Trees must disperse their seeds if they are to successfully reproduce. Seeds that fall directly beneath a tree are at a disadvantage because they have to compete with the parent. Trees that are wind dispersed usually have a wing or a plume attached to the seed to carry it away. This type of fruit is called a samara. Bird and mammal dispersed trees have seeds that are surrounded by a highly nutritious outer covering. Most bird dispersed trees have seeds that are surrounded by a carbohydrate-rich drupe, which is digested by the bird but the seed remains intact. Most mammal dispersed trees have a fruit that is a nut with high fat content. Nuts are carried off and buried in the ground by birds and mammals, some of which go uneaten and eventually germinate.