 Trillium grandiflorum has been studied extensively by ecologists due to a number of unique features it possesses . It is a representative example of a plant whose seeds are spread through myrmecochory , or ant @-@ mediated dispersal , which is effective in increasing the plant 's ability to outcross , but ineffective in bringing the plant very far . This has led ecologists to question how it and similar plants were able to survive glaciation events during the ice ages . The height of the species has also been shown to be an effective index of how intense foraging by deer is in a particular area . 
