dispersal ...

a seed must somehow "arrive" at a location and be there at a time favorable for germination and growth.

biological dispersal refers to those processes by which a species maintains or expands the distribution of a population. dispersal implies movement, movement away from an existing population or away from the parent organisms. in the latter case, dispersal may simply involve replacement of the parent generation by the new generation.

dispersal is a universal biological need, and it is to be expected that most higher plants have solved the problem in one way or another through adaptations involving their fruit or seed. examine the fruit of any species and it is likely, with perhaps a bit more knowledge about the ecosystem, to at least intelligently speculate on what these adptations are in that plant.

the co-evolution of plants and animals is a fascinating story in itself. a very significant aspect of this co-evolution involves plant adaptations that take advantage of animal abilities to locomote. these seeds have a tough protective outer-coating so that while the fruit is digested, the seeds will pass through their host's digestive tract intact, and grow wherever(hopefully) they fall.

such fruit attractive to birds is perhaps the most successful of fruit adaptations related to plant dispersal.