Electronic
Field Trip to an Orchard
Fruit Jobs
The purpose of a fruit is to produce and spread seeds. A fruit is built
to develop and protect the seeds and then to disperse them across the environment
to ensure the next generation of the species. So fruits have evolved in different
forms to be dispersed by different carriers:
Fruits built to disperse seed by the wind:
- These fruits are light and small and have adaptations
that help them float in the air.
Fruits built to disperse seed by water:
- These fruits float because they have thick coats made
up of buoyant fibers or seed coats that actually trap air
around the seed.
Fruits built to disperse seed by animals:
- These fruits use a variety of adaptations to be spread
by animals. Some take on bright colors and are very sweet,
encouraging consumption. The animal consumes the fruit,
the seed passes through the digestive tract, and is excreted
in the feces. Wherever the seed is dropped, it can take
root.
- Other fruits and their seeds have barbs or hooks, or
the surface may be gummy or sticky. These are designed
to stick in the animal's fur, feathers, or skin.
- And still other fruits and their seeds are designed to
be easy for animals to carry and store. Rodents and some
birds build a stash of nuts or grains for consumption during
the lean months. All of those fruits are not eaten. The
uneaten seeds can then take root wherever the animal has
stored them.
Now, can you match these seeds with the correct dispersal
mechanism?
