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BTNY303 Topics in Field Botany

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.

Paper title Topics in Field Botany
Paper code BTNY303
Subject Botany
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2023 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) $1,141.35
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.

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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.

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Timetable

Not offered in 2023

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