Like humans, trees also want their fruits to be successful in life once they have fallen off the branch

    Like humans, trees also want their fruits to be successful in life once they have fallen off the branch

    The scent and sweetness of ripe fruits are a strategy implemented by plants to favor the dispersion of their seeds,

    He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

    The scent and sweetness of ripe fruits would be nothing more than a strategy implemented by plants to favor the dispersion of their seeds, according to this study.





    Do you know why fruits are so sweet, juicy and good? The plants from which they come evolved on purpose to produce appetizing fruits, which attracted animals and humans to eat them, and for a very specific reason: to ensure that their seeds are dispersed in the environment and contribute to the reproduction of the plant itself. Just like humans with children, plants also want their fruits to be "successful" once they have fallen off the branch and to do this, the seeds they contain need to be planted away from the mother plant - to minimize competition for water, light and nutrients. Unfortunately, however, the plants have roots well anchored to the ground and cannot disperse their seeds on their own.

    That is why the different plant species have come up with creative techniques so that their seeds are dispersed in the best way. Some plants, such as Hackelia virginiana, have made their seeds extremely sticky, so they can attach themselves to animals' bodies and travel with them. Others, such as maple, have created tiny "wings" for their seeds, which travel in the wind. Most plants, however, use animals - and, in particular, their digestive tract - to spread the seeds in the environment, which is why the seeds are hidden in sweet and juicy fruits, which invite to be eaten. But not only: to attract animals, in addition to the sugary taste, the fruits also offer other characteristics, such as the lively color, the characteristic scent and the nutritional elements that represent a bonus for those who eat them.

    However, plants also have an inherent "calendar" to attract animals at the right time: if the fruits were always palatable, the animals would eat them even before the seeds have reached maturity to be planted. To avoid this risk, the plants modify the characteristics of the fruits to signal when the seeds are ready - this is why ripe fruits are much more fragrant sweet than unripe ones, it is their way of communicating that the seeds inside them are fully developed. and ready to be sown. On the contrary, the signs of non-ripening of the seeds - sour taste, absence of perfume or even the presence of toxic substances - are aimed at warding off the animals and preventing them from destroying the fruit that is not yet ripe.



    Researchers from the University of Virginia College of Science observed the seed dispersal mechanism in Costa Rican forests and they noticed that a particular type of plant (called Piper sancti-felicis) produces fruits that are eaten by local bats, but only half: the fruit contains in fact substances that are difficult for animals to digest, which leave the fruit in half. In such an efficient seed distribution system, why make the fruit indigestible to the point that bats can't finish it?

    According to the researchers, in this case it would be a "double sowing”: After the bats have left the half-eaten fruit on the ground, it is the ants that intervene, consuming all the pulp and leaving the seeds outside their anthill - this would still allow effective sowing. This observation further demonstrates that complex relationships exist between plants, fruits, chemicals and animals, and that there are many factors to consider in the planting process that can determine the success (or extinction) of a certain plant.

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    Fonte: Trends in Ecology & Evolution

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