Fröförande

Fröförande is a term used in botany and ecology to describe the agent or process by which seeds are moved away from the parent plant. In Swedish, frö means seed and förande derives from föra “to carry,” reflecting the idea of carrying seeds to new locations.

Definition and scope: The concept encompasses both abiotic vectors such as wind, water and gravity, and biotic vectors such as animals and humans. Seeds may disperse as diaspores and often carry adaptations such as wings, plumes, hooks, or nutritional tissues to aid dispersal. The term can refer to the act of dispersal itself as well as the carrier or vector responsible for transport.

Mechanisms and examples: Wind-dispersed seeds with pappi or wings exemplify abiotic fröförande, while seeds carried by water illustrate hydrochoric dispersal. Animals contribute through zoochory, including endozoochory (seeds eaten and later deposited) and epizoochory (seeds cling to fur or feathers). Human activities can also act as vectors, intentionally or unintentionally moving diaspores.

Significance: Fröförande shapes plant distribution, gene flow, population dynamics and community structure, and it can influence the colonization of new habitats as well as the invasive potential of species. The term’s usage varies by author and context, and in some Swedish texts it is less common than fröspridning or frötransport.

See also: Fröspridning, Zoochory, Anemochory, Hydrochoory, Diaspore.

Note: While “fröförande” is understood in many Swedish ecological discussions, terminology can differ between sources, and readers may encounter alternate terms for similar processes.