FIELD BOTANY (BIOLOGY 2355)--2007GENERAL INFORMATIONPERSONNELInstructor: Lynn Bohs, 228 South Biology, phone: 585-0380, e-mail: [email protected] assistant: Stephen Stern, 232 South Biology, phone: 585-0420 (lab), e-mail: [email protected] AND PLACEW F, 12:55-5:00 pm. Lectures start at 12:55 pm, and are in 230 James Talmage Building (JTB). Field trips depart either after lecture, or if there is no lecture for the day, field trips depart from behind the Skaggs biology building (between Skaggs and the bookstore). PURPOSE OF COURSEThe objective is to learn about plant biology by studying the local flora. You will develop skills in using technical botanical floras and the herbarium for identifying plants. Lectures provide the biological context of the habitats visited and plants observed. TEXTPlants of Salt Lake County and Adjacent Areas, Utah, by L. Arnow & M. Windham. 2004. This book will be your main resource for identifying the plants we see in the field. It is written by Lois Arnow and Michael Windham from the University of Utah’s Garrett Herbarium.We will be using an advance copy of a new revised edition for this class. Numerous changes have been made to the old edition. The copies are being loaned to us so that we can try the new version and provide feedback to the authors. Unfortunately, you will not be able to keep your copy. The final version will probably be out within the year. CLASSROOM RESOURCESWe encourage you to use the classroom on your own time for identifying homework plants and the plants in your independent collection. For that purpose you will have ID card access to the classroom Monday through Friday. In addition to your textbooks, several other resources are available in the classroom.1Your text on CDDr. Bill Gray, formerly of the University of Utah Biology Department has produced a CDversion of your text (the first edition). His version includes a unique search function that allows you to identify plants without the tedium of keying them out. We will have one of his CD’s installed in a computer in the classroom for your use. You may also purchase one of your own. Utah Flora on CDYour text only covers plants from Salt Lake and Davis Counties. If you want to identify plants from other areas in Utah we also have the Utah Flora on CD on a computer in the classroom. This CD also has a search function to help you with identification.“Plant Identification Terminology; an Illustrated Glossary” by J.G. Harris and M.W. Harris 1997. Spring Lake Publications. A copy of this useful text will be in the classroom.If you are floundering in an ocean of terminology, this book will help.Classroom Reference Collection.In the classroom we have a reference collection—courtesy of previous students in this class. It is organized alphabetically by plant family. Please handle the specimens with care and restore to their original order after use. You may find this collection helpful for checking your homework plants or your independent collections. Not all plants are in the collection, however. Dissecting scopesThere will be some dissecting scopes available in the classroom for use in keying out plants. You will find these extremely useful for plant identification. SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCESFor those of you wanting to explore plant identification further, here are some recommended books. 1. “A Utah Flora” by S.L. Welsh, N.D. Atwood, L.C. Higgins, and S. Goodrich. Brigham Young University Press. 2003, 1993, or 1987 editions; any of them are adequate. The serious botanists among you will want to purchase this book. It covers ALL the plants in Utah, with keys, descriptions, and a glossary. The U. bookstore has some copies at $90-100. Limited copies will be available for classroom use.22. “Intermountain Flora” by A. Cronquist, A.H. Holmgren, J.L. Holmgren, and J.L. Reveal. New York Botanical Garden. Multi-volume set.This work-in-progress covers the entire Great Basin region including Utah, Nevada, southern Idaho, and southeastern Oregon. It has keys, species descriptions, and best of all: illustrations of every species! However, the price for the set is over $300. 3. “Utah Wildflowers, a Field Guide to Northern and Central Mountains and Valleys” by R.J. Shaw. Utah State University Press. 1995. Pluses: photographs of local wildflowers make an approximate identification easier. Minuses: only a portion of plants are covered and it cannot be used for precise identification. Sometimes at the U bookstore. 4. “Weeds of the West” by T.D. Whitson et al. University of Wyoming Press. 1993. Excellent reference for weedy species, ca. $22.5. “Sagebrush Country” by R.J. Taylor. Mountain Press Publ. Co. 1992. Non-technical guide with photographs. Covers the west desert country flowers as well as some mountain flowers. Available at U bookstore or the UMNH bookstore.6. “The Sagebrush Ocean” by S. Trimble. 1989. University of Nevada Press. An excellent overview of the natural history of the Great Basin. Beautiful photographs. $10-20 at U bookstore or UMNH Bookstore. OTHER COURSE MATERIALSIt is essential that you buy a 10X hand lens. These are available at the bookstore (ca. $6).You will need this to examine the often minute features of plants that are used to identify species. Three sources of higher quality lenses are listed below:BioQuipwww.bioquip.comPhone: (310) 667-8800Fax: (310) 667-8808Recommended item: 10X Coddington Magnifier 1128B $24.7510X Hastings triplet magnifier 1128E $42.403Carolina Biological Supply Co.Phone: (800) 334-5551email: [email protected] items (Baush & Lomb lenses):10X Coddington Magnifier 60-2152 $31.55Wards Biology Supplywww.wardsci.comPhone: (800) 962-2660Fax: (800) 635-8439Recommended items (Baush & Lomb lenses):10X Coddington Magnifier 25 V 1620 $29.9510X Hastings triplet magnifer 25 V 2220 $49.95A field notebook is necessary for writing down the plants we see, and information about their morphology and habitat. A pocket-sized loose-leaf type is recommended. FIELD TRIPSThere are 8 scheduled field trips during the Wednesday and Friday “lab” sessions. Wednesday trips will be shorter and usually will follow a lecture. Most Fridays there will be no lecture—just a field trip. All trips will take at least until 5 pm. Sometimes we may be a little late in returning. Transport will be provided (university vans). On bad weather days we will key out plants in the