SYLLABUS
[Revised December, 2006]
Course: NATR 210. Dendrology
Instructor:
Professor Hunter
214 Charlton Hall
684-6239
Objectives:
- Understand plant nomenclature and classification
-
Identify, name
and describe trees and other woody plants important in environmental
disciplines
- Learn plant and plant-site associations
- Develop and use plant identification keys
- Collect, identify and preserve leaf and fruit specimens from woody plants
Required Texts (available in the Campus Store):
- “Fruit and Twig Key” by Wm. M. Harlow (Bookstore)
-
“Trees of the Northern U.S. and
Recommended
Literature and Resources:
- “The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees” Audubon Field
Guide
Series – Eastern and
- “A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs” Peterson Field Guide Series
-
“
- Computer resources: learning aides available on the Q: Drive – NRC – Dendro (read only access)
-
“Woody Plants in North America”: a
2-CD tutorial for native and ornamental plants in
Required Equipment and Supplies*:
- Field clothes, including rain gear, hat, hiking boots
- Field notebook with waterproof paper and/or cover, pencils
- Pocket knife
- Hand lens (Campus Store)
- Index cards (4x6 or 3x5; color coded); dividers; and ring clip holder (Campus Store)
*Note: Most labs are field trips to natural areas that involve hiking, taking notes on the identification of woody plants, collecting leaf and fruit specimens and writing answers to quiz questions relating to plant identification. Labs are rarely cancelled due to bad weather. Hiking routes occasionally have a moderate to high degree of difficulty due to steep slopes, wet sites and other challenges.
Grading:
- The course grade is based on a % calculated from points earned divided by points given.
- Field quizzes are comprehensive
- The origin and approximate weighting of evaluation material is as follows:
Classroom quizzes on lecture material
and/or reading assignments -------------------------------35
Field quizzes on plant identification ----- -------------- 50
Projects------------------------------------------------------ 15
_____
100
-
Lecture
quizzes (typical):
- 15 - 20 points each; questions derived from previous lectures, reading assignments and review questions; typically cover a group of related topics, e.g. the maples
- PowerPoint lectures available for study purposes on Q: NRC>NATR210
-
Lab quizzes
(typical):
- 5 to 12 quiz specimens per lab (20 – 48 points)
- Field identification of woody plants
- Common name (e.g. red maple), with a grade value of 2 points
- Scientific name (e.g. Aceraceae Acer rubrum): 1 point each for family and genus; 1 bonus point for the species
- Total points for each quiz specimen = 4 (+ 1 point bonus if species is correct).
- Beginning week #12, field quizzes will require common and Latin names for Gymnosperms, common name only for angiosperms
-
Project:
Index Card File for Species Identification
- Index cards: 3x5 or 4x6, preferably color coded
- One card for each species
- Title card with your name and course name
-
Common name and
key descriptive information* on the front
- * leaf, twig, bud, fruit, bark, form, habitat, other
-
Scientific name
on the back
-
Organized by family or genus, with labeled dividers
and/or color-coded cards for quick reference
- Sources of information: field notes, field guides, fruit and twig keys; also Virginia Tech fact sheets
- Hole-punched with ring binder (may wish to add a carabiner)
-
Due: week #13 at
the beginning of the lab
- Grade value and criteria: 100 points; complete, legible, accurate, organized, attractive.
Attendance:
- Attendance and good note-taking are the foundation for success in this course
- Students should make every effort to attend all classes; failure to do so could jeopardize their grade
- Students are responsible for any class material (including lectures, labs, quizzes and tests) missed due to an absence
- Any quiz or test missed due to an unexcused absence may be graded as a zero
Tests and quizzes that are missed without a valid excuse and permission from the instructor can be made up, under the following conditions: the student has a maximum of 3 days from the original test/quiz date to take a makeup test/quiz; a 10% grade reduction penalty will be applied for each day after the original test/quiz day that the makeup test/quiz is taken. For example, a student who takes a makeup test 2 days after the original test day and scores 80% will receive a grade of 80% - 20% = 64%.
Lecture Outline (Reading assignments from the required texts to be announced):
A. Definitions
B. Scope
C. Importance
D. Information resources
A. History
B. Taxonomic groups
C. Common name
D. Scientific name
E. The Broadleaf Trees, Division Magnoliophyta
F. The Conifers, Division Pinophyta
A. Leaves
B. Twigs
C. Buds
D. Flowers
E. Fruit
F. Bark
G. Form (habit)
H. Ecology
Note: The content and organization of this section are correlated with the laboratory field investigations. Labs focus on field identification. Follow-up lectures then review field identification and present important natural history information for the same plants and/or plant groups. Most species studied in the field will be discussed in the lecture (see the Species List for details). Angiosperms are emphasized in weeks 1 – 10, Gymnosperms in weeks 11 – 14.
Weeks 10 and 11 are transitional in nature. Students will be introduced to fruit and twig keys to aid in the identification of deciduous plants without leaves. Gymnosperms will be introduced and the groundwork laid for upcoming fieldwork and student presentations.
(Lecture Outline, Part II)
I. Family
A. Scope
B. Importance
C. Genera
II.
Genus
(Genera)
A. Description
1. Distribution
2. Form
3. Importance
4. Botanical features
B. Important species
A. Highlights
B. Distinguishing characteristics
1. Size/Form
2. Leaves
3. Twigs/Buds
4. Flowers/Fruit
5. Bark
6. Wood
C. Ecology
1. Habitat
2. Associates
3. Reproduction
4. Growth
5. Tolerance
6. Succession
7. Limiting factors
D. Importance
1. Timber
2. Wildlife
3. Conservation
4. Food
5. Ornamental
6. Other
Lab Outline:
Field trips, unless otherwise noted; approximately 110 trees and shrubs covered; average about 10 new plants per week.
1. Campus Arboretum and Grounds ()
2. Georgetown/Crane Lodge (; Bus)
3.
4. Leland Pond Natural Area (; Bus)
5. AQ Center (; Bus)
6.
7.
*October Break
………………………………………………………
8. ESF Arboretum, Jamesville (; Bus - 1:00 PM departure)
9.
10. Galbreath Farm ()
11. Erieville (; Bus; Straight at intersection, west 3.7 miles to 2nd
pullover)
12. Campus/Village (; Bus)
13. Submit Card Project; Fruit and Twig Review; Fruit and Twig Keys
*Thanksgiving Break
…………………………………………………
14. Fruit and Twig Review (; indoor lab)
15. Final field quiz: gymnosperms (common and Latin names); angiosperms (common name only)
Literature:
1.
Barrett, J. W. Regional Silviculture of the U. S.
2.
Brockman, C. F. Trees of
3. Clapham Jr., W. B. Natural Ecosystems
4.
5. Grimm, Wm. C. Recognizing Native Shrubs
6. Grimm, Wm. C. The Book of Trees
7. Harlow, Wm. M. Fruit Key and Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs
8.
9.
Hunt, C. B. Natural Regions of the
10. Lemmon,
R. S. The Best Loved Trees of
11. Li,
Hui-lin Trees of
12. Little,
E. L. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees, Eastern
Region; Western Region
13. Lovric,
M. The Forests – a Celebration of Nature, in Word and Image
14. Petrides, G. A. A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs
15.
16. Society
of American Foresters (SAF) Forest Cover Types of the
17. Strausbaugh,
P. D. and Core, E. L. Flora of
18. USDA,
19. USDA,
Forest Service Silvics of Forest Trees of the
20. Walker,
L. C. Trees – An Introduction to Trees and
Internet Resources:
www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/factsheets.cfm
http://nyflora.org/atlas/atlas.htm