Strategy to go far

2009/06/16 Lakar Iraizoz, Oihane - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Botanika
• Ekologia
• Geografia

All the seeds that remind us of the flight of the helicopters when falling thanks to their membrane, like the maple seeds, produce in the air a few tiny tornadoes or swirls that go to the earth. Thanks to them, they can make relatively long routes from the original tree. Scientists from the Dutch Wagening University have studied the dispersion strategy on the farm.

Scientists filled a wind tunnel with smoke and dropped several seeds to study its effect on the air. As they fall and begin to turn, swirls form at the top of the “wing” of these seeds, which, by decreasing the pressure, take longer to fall into the air.

Image courtesy of: David Lentink