<P> Seed dispersal is the movement or transport of seeds away from the parent plant . Plants have very limited mobility and consequently rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their propagules, including both abiotic and biotic vectors . Seeds can be dispersed away from the parent plant individually or collectively, as well as dispersed in both space and time . The patterns of seed dispersal are determined in large part by the dispersal mechanism and this has important implications for the demographic and genetic structure of plant populations, as well as migration patterns and species interactions . There are five main modes of seed dispersal: gravity, wind, ballistic, water, and by animals . Some plants are serotinous and only disperse their seeds in response to an environmental stimulus . </P> <P> Seed dispersal is likely to have several benefits for plant species . First, seed survival is often higher away from the parent plant . This higher survival may result from the actions of density - dependent seed and seedling predators and pathogens, which often target the high concentrations of seeds beneath adults . Competition with adult plants may also be lower when seeds are transported away from their parent . </P>

Explain the various ways in which seeds and fruits are adapted to dispersal