Seed dispersal

Seed dispersal is when seeds are carried away from the parent plant either deliberately or accidentally. Often, animals are involved in dispersal, as when ants, squirrels and mice, collect and store seeds (including nuts). If the store is forgotten, or the animal dies, the seeds might germinate. Other animals may eat a plant's fruit and scatter the undigested seeds in their dung. Finally, some seeds are sticky or have hooks that catch on to fur and feathers, so the seed can hitch-hike to a new location. The seeds of some plants are carried by other vectors such as wind and water.

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