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.