Plant pollination and dispersal

Abstract

Plants depend on a wide diversity of animals for pollination and seed dispersal. The devices used by plants to attract animals span the whole range of animal senses. The diversity of plant sexual systems is very broad. Plants can manipulate their own fertilization. Pollen delivery systems must be precise. Changes in floral attraction signals can have evolutionary consequences. Seeds must be dispersed away from parent plants and each other. Pollination and seed dispersal influence the genetic structure of populations and their evolution. Human activities have significant and often negative impacts on pollinators and seed dispersers. Problems are predictable. The complex nature of these plant-animal interactions means that many questions await future studies.