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Teaching Staff

Associate Professor Janice Lord (Course co-ordinator) and Professor David Orlovich

Course Description

This course explores patterns of plant and fungal diversity with a particular emphasis on New Zealand. The Fungal Diversity section of the course begins with an overview of systematics then venture into the amazing Kingdom of fungi where you will gain skills to describe new species.

The Plant Diversity section of the course investigates the evolution of the New Zealand flora, and island floras generally, breeding system and lifestyle diversity, including carnivory and parasitism, and introduces skills for identifying plants and preparing voucher specimens.

Lectures

  • Section I (13 lectures) - Fungal diversity and systematics
  • Section II (13 lectures) - Plant diversity and adaptation

Field Trips

  • Dunedin Botanic Gardens: climates, biomes and morphological diversity
  • Leith Saddle: podocarp forest to subalpine shrubland
  • Weekend day trip to Leith Saddle

Laboratories

  • Fungal phylogenetics project (6 Labs)
  • How to look at plants: leaves, flowers,
  • bryophytes and graminoids (4 Labs)
  • Plant Diversity project (2 Labs)

Assessment

Project Course Percentage
Fungal Phylogeny project 20%
Mid course Examination 30%
Plant Diversity project 20%
Final Examination 30%

Course Downloads

Download a copy of the course information sheet as a PDF.

Additional Course Information

More BTNY202 course and timetable information is available on the Courses and Subjects website.

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