Instructor: Dr. Terry O'Brien
Offered during summer sessions
Prequisites: 0401.100 and 0401.101, or the equivalent of both, or permission of the instructor
Students enrolled in this course must be available for several
day-long,
weekday field trips
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Hazel |
May Apple | Sassafras |
Description:
The central objective of this course will be to investigate the terrestrial flora of New Jersey, its origin, and mechanisms that sustain it. As such, the course is primarily concerned with plant taxonomy, population ecology and community ecology. This course is also an investigation of what is unique about plants and the interaction between humans and natural vegetation. Students who complete this course will be able to identify plant species and plant communities, and understand the responses of plants to human and nonhuman ("natural") influences. The focus of the laboratories is several all-day and half-day field trips. 4 s.h.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of written exams, field exams, individual and group projects and class participation. There will be an opportunity to tailor the individual project to suit one's specific interests in plants.
This course is designed for students with little background in plant biology. Both traditional undergraduate students and nontraditional adult students are encouraged to enroll.
Topics Covered:
A majority of the following topics will be included in the course. The topics selected from this list will vary from year to year, tailored to meet the particular interests of students. Topics marked with an asterisk are expected to be included each year the course is taught.
History of Discovery of the Flora
Essentials of Plant Structure and Development*
Major Lineages of Plants*
Plant Demography*
Essential Processes of Plant Evolution
Collection and Curation of Plants*
Identification of Plants*
Formation and Delimitation of Plant Communities*
Common Plant Communities of New Jersey*
Paleoclimates of Eastern North America and the Geographic Origins of
the Modern Flora
Influence of Climate, Geology and Hydrology on the Flora*
Conservation Status of the Flora*
Human Impact on the Flora*
