How can seeds travel

This is called seed dispersal. Over time, fruits and seeds have developed adaptations that allow them to be carried from place to place in order to become the next generation of plants.

Some seeds have wings, feathery parts, or even parachute-like parts to help them float in a breeze instead of dropping to the ground below the parent plant. This time of year, you might see maple samaras on the ground or in maple trees. These seeds have a propeller-like part attached that causes the seed to spin while being carried by the wind. Other plants have fluffy parts attached to their seeds that help them fly long distances, like the seeds of milkweed or dandelion. Did you know a coconut is considered one of the largest seeds in the world?

A coconut has an air pocket inside that allows it to float, and a thick husk to protect it from predators and the salty ocean water. Drifting isn't the most common way for a seed to travel, but it seems to be more common in tropical, coastal places.

Mangoes, almonds, and certain other tropical fruits and nuts have seeds that are dispersed this way. Do you like furry animals? Many plants do too!

Then the seeds are carried away from the mother by air currents. The dandelion seeds in this drawing are a great example. Hitchhikers - Have you ever gotten home from a field trip and found your socks covered with sticky or prickly seeds? These seeds are now in a new place because you carried them.

Animal fur and feathers are also good places to stick to and catch a ride. Going with the flow - The seeds of some plants that live in the water, or close to it, can float. A good example is the coconut. A coconut falls from its mother plant onto the beach. When the tide comes up or there's a swell, the ocean picks up the floating seed.

Ocean currents then take the seed to another beach, where it can grow into a coconut palm tree. Some seeds need a little help from animals. They have to be eaten first to get started. It might not seem like a great way to start life, but they end up in a pile of natural fertilizer to get a jump on germination. Robins are a good example of a seed disperser. They eat the seeds of Poison Oak and Poison Ivy and later deposit them in a new place to grow.

Humans are also seed dispersers. Rasberry and Blueberry seeds have for a longtime been carried and planted after person dines on these sweet fruits. Humans can also spread seeds if they get stuck to our clothing or shoes — and if we throw fruit pips and stones out of the car window! Some plants, like peas, gorse and flax, have seedpods that dry out once the seeds are ripe.

When dry, the pods split open and the seeds scatter. Plants cannot run away from a fire so some plants have developed a way to help their seeds survive. There are some species of pine tree that require the heat from a fire before their cones will open and release seeds. Banksias, eucalypts and other Australian plants also rely on fire.

The intensity and timing of the fire is important. It needs to be hot enough to trigger the cones to open, but if fires are too frequent, there is not enough time for the plants to grow big enough to make new seeds. Adaptation is an evolutionary process that helps an organism make the most of its habitat.

Seed dispersal is an example of adaptation. Fires are common in Australia, so some plants have adapted and become well suited to make the most of it. Mangrove trees have seeds that float, making the most of their watery environment.

Science is an attempt to explain the natural world.