Summer Flora 2014
From EEBedia
EEB 4272
Summer Session I
June 2nd to July 2nd
M/W/F 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
TLS 179
Instructor
Nora Mitchell (nora.mitchell@uconn.edu)
Contact me for a permission number
Course description
New England is home to a diverse and thriving selection of plants, many of which reach their peak exuberance during the summer. Proper identification of plants and an understanding of their interactions with the environment are important facets that aid in the appreciation of our natural resources. In this course, students will:
- Learn to recognize by sight some of the more common plant species
- Develop a skill set for identifying unknown plant species
- Gain experience in plant census, collection and curation techniques
- Learn the system of classifying plant diversity and of naming plant species
- Learn about the diversity of plant habitats in New England
- Learn about invasive species and conservation issues in plant biology
The course focuses primarily on plant identification and classification, but students also will acquire skills that would serve them in any number of careers dealing with natural resource management.
Required equipment (all available from UConn Co-op)
- 10x hand lens (provided for you!)
- field notebook
- pencils
Course Texts
- Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide by L. Newcomb, 1989.
- Trees of Eastern and Central United States and Canada by W.M. Harlow, 1957.
- Fern Finder by A. C. Hallowell and B. G. Hallowell, 1981.
Grading
- Quizzes 20%
- Mid-term exam 30%
- Final exam 30%
- Plant collection/preservation project 20%
Tentative schedule: subject to weather!
Date | Lecture | Field | Notes |
Week 1 | |||
Mon June 2 | Introduction, Nomenclature, Vegetative Characters | Campus walk | |
Wed June 4 | Vegetative Characters Cont. | Moss Preserve/Tift Pond, Mansfield | |
Fri June 6 | Floral Characters | Valley Falls Park, Vernon | |
Week 2 | |||
Mon June 9 | UCONN Herbarium | Campus Walk-Forest and Wetland N. Hillside | |
Wed June 11 | Inflorescence Types | Soapstone Mountain, Somers | |
Fri June 13 | Ferns | Webster Fern Garden Tour | Room available for review after class |
Week 3 | |||
Mon June 16 | MIDTERM EXAM | Horsebarn Hill, Depot Campus | |
Wed June 18 | Vegetation Surveys | UCONN Forest | |
Fri June 20 | New England Habitats | Fenton River, Mansfield | |
Week 4 | |||
Mon June 23 | Bog Plants | Willington Bog, Willington | |
Wed June 25 | Plant ecology | Bigelow Hollow State Park | |
Fri June 27 | Aquatic Plants | Coventry Lake | |
Week 5 | |||
Mon June 30 | Hammonassett State Park | Room available for review after class | |
Wed July 2 | FINAL EXAM | Specimen mounting & Collections Due |