Plant purposely sink, float and fly seeds to find new territory

UTRECHT, Netherlands, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Plants actively direct their seeds toward fertile ground using wind and water, new research shows. Until now, scientists had only confirmed "directed dispersal" among plants with seeds carried by animals.

Researchers at Utrecht University found plants produce seeds specifically designed to find their way to grounds suitable for germination.

Plants growing in flooded terrain produce heavier seeds, which sink and are carried to new water-logged terrain. Plants growing along the water's edge produce floating seeds, which are more likely to float until they're washed onto a suitable shoreline. Plants growing on higher grounds produce aerodynamic seeds, which are carried over water by the wind.

Researcher Merel Soons had previously investigated the phenomenon of directed dispersal among seeds transported by animals. One of Soons' studies revealed the spread of wetland seeds by ducks from pond to pond.

"I wondered: wouldn't it be highly efficient for these species as well, if their seeds were dispersed predominantly towards suitable sites?" Soons said in a news release. "We were excited to discover that these plants can direct their own seeds via wind or water. It appears that plants are really quite 'smart.'"

Soons published his latest work in the journal Functional Ecology.