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    Overview

    Understanding plants in the world around us. A hands-on, field-oriented course in plant identification and collection, in the context of plant population and community ecology.

    This field-based paper aims to provide a hands-on understanding of New Zealand plant species, the populations and communities of which they are a part, and the ecological relationships with the environments in which they occur. Students will become familiar with the major families and genera of plants that are significant in the New Zealand flora, as well as gain internationally applicable skills in identifying plants to species level using a range of diagnostic tools and documenting plant distributions via voucher specimen collection and documentation. Further, students will gain expertise in observational as well as the diagnostic and analytical skills that are primarily used in plant surveys, as well as an understanding of the ecological processes that influence the location of plants, and that shape the vegetation.

    About this paper

    Paper title Topics in Field Botany
    Subject Botany
    EFTS 0.15
    Points 18 points
    Teaching period 1st Non standard period (11 November 2024 - 14 December 2024) (On campus)
    Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,173.30
    International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
    Prerequisite
    Two of BTNY 201, BTNY 202, BTNY 203, ECOL 211, ECOL 212, GENE 222, GENE 223, GEOG 287, GEOG 290, MARI 202, STAT 210, ZOOL 221, ZOOL 222, ZOOL 223
    Schedule C
    Science
    Contact
    botany@otago.ac.nz
    Teaching staff

    Lecturers: Academic staff in the Botany department.

    Paper Structure
    Lectures, laboratories and field trips.
    Teaching Arrangements

    To be advised when paper next offered.

    Textbooks

    Textbooks are not required for this paper.

    Graduate Attributes Emphasised
    Lifelong learning, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Environmental literacy, Teamwork.
    View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
    Learning Outcomes

    Students who learn successfully in this paper will:

    • Be able to use relevant diagnostic tools to identify plants to species level.
    • Be able to collect and preserve botanical specimens in a professional manner and use herbarium resources to verify identifications and species names.
    • Learn basic herbarium curatorial skills and be aware of the regulations governing national and international plant specimen exchanges.
    • Be familiar with New Zealand's regulatory framework for plant collecting and the significance of Treaty partnerships.
    • Be familiar with methods for surveying plant populations and communities.
    • Be able to relate observational and survey data to the relevant botanical and plant ecological literature.
    • Be familiar with basic field skills associated with surveying plants and the environments in which they occur.

    Timetable

    1st Non standard period (11 November 2024 - 14 December 2024)

    Location
    Dunedin
    Teaching method
    This paper is taught On Campus
    Learning management system
    Blackboard

    Practical

    Stream Days Times Weeks
    Attend
    A1 Monday 09:00-16:50 46-48
    Tuesday 09:00-16:50 46-48
    Wednesday 09:00-16:50 46-48
    Thursday 09:00-16:50 46-47
    Friday 09:00-16:50 46-47
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