Name
Class
Date
Seed dispersal
Enrichment Activity
Skills: inferring, applying concepts, predicting
New plants form from seeds released by parent plants. Survival of a plant species is dependent
upon the dispersal of parent plant seeds. Many plant seeds have characteristics that help in their
dispersal. Wind, water, and animals all help seeds to be dispersed.
PART A Look at the plant seeds below. Identify the trait of the plant seed that
helps in its dispersal. Predict how the seed is dispersed.
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
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2.
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3.
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4.
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PART B Read the following passage. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Tomato Plant
Red, juicy tomatoes are the fruit of the tomato plant. It is believed that tomatoes grew
naturally in South America. Spanish priests visiting South America probably brought
the seeds of these plants back with them to Europe. During the 1500s, tomatoes were
grown as food in Spain and Italy. Years later, European explorers brought the seeds
of these plants with them on voyages to America. Today, the United States produces
more tomatoes than any other country.
1. How did humans aid the dispersal of tomato seeds? ____________________________________________
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2. Suppose that Spanish priests had never taken tomato seeds back to Europe. What effect could
this have had on U.S. farms today? ___________________________________________________________
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Concepts and Challenges in Life Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
Plant Structure and Function
A nswer Key
Seed Dispersal
Enrichment Activity
PART A
1. The shape of the seed helps it be dispersed by
wind. 2. The sweet taste of the fruit causes animals
to eat it. The seed coat protects the seed from being
digested. The seed is dispersed in the animal’s
wastes. 3. The fluffy seeds are easily dropped from
the plant by a moving force. The seeds are then
dispersed by wind. 4. The pointed structures get
caught in the fur of an animal.
PART B
1. They carried the seeds with them on voyages
around the world. 2. It is possible that the tomato
plant would never have been introduced to the
United States.
Concepts and Challenges in Life Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
Plant Structure and Function