How do wind, water, and animals disperse seeds?

Plants utilize various seed dispersal strategies to move their progeny away from the parent plant, reducing competition for resources and facilitating colonization of new areas.12

Wind Dispersal (Anemochory)

Plants adapted for wind dispersal often feature structures that allow them to be carried by air currents.3
* Flyers: Many seeds or fruits possess wings (e.g., maple samaras) or plumes (e.g., dandelion pappus) to catch the breeze. Others are minute "dust seeds," such as those found in many orchids, which are easily windborne.423
* Rollers: Some plants, like tumbleweeds, break off and roll across open country, scattering seeds as they move.4

Water Dispersal (Hydrochory)

Plants in aquatic or coastal environments often produce buoyant seeds or fruits.53
* Buoyancy: Fruits like the coconut have fibrous, water-resistant husks that allow them to float for long periods.52
* Mangroves: Many mangrove species produce propagules that float upright in salt water until they encounter a suitable substrate to root.52

Animal Dispersal (Zoochory)

Animals disperse seeds through several methods:6
* Ingestion: Animals eat fleshy fruits and later excrete the seeds, often in a nutrient-rich environment. Some seeds require passage through a digestive tract to break dormancy.362
* Attachment (Epizoochory): Seeds or fruits equipped with hooks, barbs, or spines cling to the fur, feathers, or skin of passing animals.36
* Caching: Animals like squirrels and jays bury seeds for later consumption; those they forget to recover may germinate. Some plants also use "fecal mimicry" or elaiosomes to entice insects like dung beetles or ants to transport their seeds.26