In biology, dispersal of organisms refers to the movement of individuals or propagules (such as seeds, larvae, or spores) away from their birthplace or current population, influencing gene flow, colonization dynamics, and spatial population structure. Dispersal can be active (driven by organismal movement) or passive (mediated by wind, water, or other vectors), and operates across scales from local neighborhoods to intercontinental ranges. It interacts with selection, drift, and demographic processes, shaping metapopulation dynamics, range expansions, species coexistence, and responses to environmental change, and is commonly modeled using dispersal kernels, connectivity matrices, and individual-based movement models.
Animals help disperse seeds and spores for many plant and fungal species. This typically happens when animals eat the fruiting bodies of plants and fungi and pass seeds and spores through their digestive systems.
Ecology
Dec 17, 2025
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A team of scientists at the University of Minnesota has uncovered the routes by which zebra mussels spread through Minnesota lakes, pointing to some surprising bodies of water that were the likely origins for the period of ...
Ecology
Dec 10, 2025
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Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) have reconstructed the distribution history of black pepper over the past 21,000 years in an international study. Using a new approach, ...
Ecology
Nov 20, 2025
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When the volcanic island of Surtsey rose from the North Atlantic Ocean in 1963, it offered scientists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe how life takes hold on brand-new and barren land. For decades, ecologists believed ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 17, 2025
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On islands, many plants rely on animals such as birds, bats and reptiles to disperse their seeds and help them grow in new places. When native animals go extinct, this naturally reduces seed dispersal.
Plants & Animals
Oct 8, 2025
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Researchers have developed a new class of nontoxic, biodegradable solid lubricants that can be used to facilitate seed dispersal using modern farming equipment, with the goal of replacing existing lubricants that pose human ...
Biotechnology
Oct 7, 2025
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Don't be disappointed if all the fluffy seeds of a dandelion don't fly away with a single blow. The gust of wind from your lungs may be strong, but the dandelion's natural desire to control how its seeds are dispersed is ...
Seeds in Madagascar's forests are getting smaller, and new research suggests that human activities are playing a role in this shift. Researchers from the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Leipzig ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 11, 2025
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Behavioral flexibility, the ability to adapt one's behavior to changing circumstances based on previous experience, is thought to play an important role in a species' ability to successfully adapt to new environments and ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 18, 2025
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Most trees in the Amazon (90%), the Atlantic Forest (90%), or the Cerrado, the Brazilian savanna-like biome (60%), depend on animals to disperse their seeds, ensure their reproduction, and keep the forest standing. Birds, ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 6, 2025
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