1 Biology 3400 - Plant Systematics Spring 2012 Syllabus Instructor: Lisa Kelly, Ph.D. Phone: 910-521-6377 Office: Oxendine Room 2221 E-mail: [email protected] Web page: http://www.uncp.edu/home/kellyl Office hours: M 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, M 3:30-4:30 PM, T 3:00-4:00 PM, W 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Lecture: TR 12:30-1:45 PM, Oxendine Room 1111 Lab: R 2:00-3:50 PM, Oxendine Room 1111 Textbook: Simpson, M.G. 2006. Plant Systematics. Elsevier Academic Press. San Diego, CA. Lab texts: Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, NC. Walters, D.R. and D.J. Keil. 1996. Vascular Plant Taxonomy. Fourth Edition. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Dubuque, Iowa. (You don’t need to purchase the lab texts. The Biology Department will loan you these.) Supplies required: brick hammer, pruning shears, and field notebook (to be handed in) Course objectives The major objectives of this course are to introduce you to systematic botany and field collection techniques. Lectures will consider the major aspects of systematics: identification, nomenclature, classification, and phylogeny. Laboratories will emphasize structural terminology, the use of identification keys and family descriptions, identification of fresh and pressed plant specimens, and techniques for collecting and preparing pressed plant specimens. Emphasis will be placed on identification of the local flora. Laboratories will frequently meet outdoors. Three lectures and a two-hour laboratory period weekly. Credit, 4 semester hours. Prerequisites: BIO 1000, BIO 1010 or BIO 2200 (ENV 2200) (or permission of the instructor). Grading policies Your grade in this course will be based on several evaluation tools, including lecture exams, lab practicals, lab assignments, and a plant collection. Lecture exams and lab practicals will be largely objective (containing multiple formats) but will include some discussion questions. Make-up of a single missed exam will be allowed only for a reasonable excuse and will be given during the week of finals. If you miss two exams, you will receive an "Incomplete" for the course, and the exams must be made up the following semester.2 Final grade assessment Points each Total points 4 Lecture Exams (1-hour each) 100 400 2 Lab Practicals (1-hour each) 75 150 3 Lab Assignments 30 90 1 Plant Collection: 10 mounted (vouchers) 100 100 Grand Total = 740 points How can you calculate your grade percentage during the semester? 1) Sum all of your scores to date and 2) divide your total sum by the sum of all scores possible to date. 3) Multiply the ratio by "100". Total of your points X 100 Total points possible Example: If you earned a "95" and an "85" on the first two lecture exams and a "70" on the first lab practical, then: (95+85+70) X 100 = (100+100+75) 250 X 100 = 275 91% Grading scale -- A = 93-100% C = 73-76% A- = 90-92% C- = 70-72% B+ = 87-89% D+ = 67-69% B = 83-86% D = 63-66% B- = 80-82% D- = 60-62% C+ = 77-79% F = <60% Lab Assignments The lab assignments should reinforce material covered during lecture and help you learn by applying the structural terminology to real plants. Each lab assignment is worth 30 points, and 2 points will be subtracted for each date late: Laboratory Assignment Date Due #1 Morphology of unknowns (species to be announced) Tuesday, February 7 #2 Morphology of unknowns (species to be announced) Tuesday, March 13 #3 Morphology of Take Home Specimens Tuesday, April 3 Plant collection You will be required to collect 10 different species of native (or naturalized) plants, representing 10 different families. No more than 5 of the species may be woody (i.e., trees and shrubs). Specimens must be 1) dried and pressed, 2) identified to species and family, and 3) they must be accompanied by a formal, typed voucher label. Furthermore, either these specimens OR specimens of the instructor’s choosing must be properly mounted on herbarium paper (supplies provided by the instructor), and these will be permanently archived in the UNCP herbarium.3 The plant collection and mounted vouchers (100 pts.) are due on Tuesday, 17 April 2012. Two points will be deducted for each day late. Attendance policies UNCP and the Department of Biology place strong emphasis on regular class attendance. Class attendance is critical for your educational experience and is essential for the academic integrity of the biology curriculum. You are expected to attend every class for the full class period. Absences, regardless of the cause, do not relieve you of any course requirement. Attendance will be taken during each class session. You may miss 4 lectures without penalty. However, if you exceed 4 absences from lecture, 1.5 points will be deducted from your final average for each excessive absence. You may miss 2 lab periods without penalty. However, if you exceed 2 absences from lab, 5 points will be deducted from your final average for each excessive absence. Absences resulting from doctor's appointments, family emergencies, jury duty, sporting events in which you must participate, illnesses, etc., do not exempt you from this policy! Emergency University Closings Hotline: 910-521-6888 http://www.uncpalert.com/go/site/1614/ Disruptive behaviors http://www.uncp.edu/sa/pol_pub/code_of_conduct.htm It is essential that you arrive to class on time, take notes, remain attentive, and give input as appropriate. Disruptive behaviors will not be tolerated. As stated in the University Code of Conduct, “disruptive behavior is defined as repeated, continuous, and/or multiple student behaviors that hamper the ability of instructors to teach and students to learn.” I will speak with you if you are being disruptive. If the behaviors continue, I will ask you to leave the classroom (incurring an absence for the day). Further, I will report the incident to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and you may be administratively withdrawn from the course. Note that disruptive behaviors include, but are not limited to, arriving to class late and leaving early, use of cell phones, and talking when I am speaking. Information about appropriate conduct can be found on the website indicated above and in the Student Handbook under Code of Conduct. Honor code