BIO 324 - Field Botany - Fall 2004

Instructor: Dr. Paul Weihe
Office: VSC 127
Office hours: M,W,F 8-9; T,R 4-5 PM---or by appointment.
Phone: 628-5204 (x5204)
Mail: Box 015; also tray in kitchenette outside office; e-mail: weihep@central.edu

The remaining portion of the course content includes equal parts Plant Ecology, and applications of botany (to environmental science, medicine, agriculture, folklore, etc).

Field-based courses (such as Bio 324) require discipline, alertness, and attention to detail. While in the field or lab, please be aware that you should make necessary notes, ask relevant questions, and think critically. Yes, it will all be on the test!! Also, be constantly aware of safety issues (some of which are unique to field work). It is everyone's duty to point out unsafe conditions or activities, and remedy the situation if possible. We will not engage in unsafe activities.

Laboratory work is an essential part of the course, and students must attend lab and participate. Missed labs cannot be made up. Labs are designed to provide first-hand study of some of the concepts being presented and to illustrate other material. Labs will usually take place in the field, and students should dress accordingly. Some lab exercises will utilize the College herbarium or other resources. In addition, a weekend field trip (first weekend of the semester) is required; we will visit sites in northern Iowa to observe and collect plants.

Textbooks: Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa by van der Linden and Farrar; Newcomb's Wildflower Guide by Newcomb; Tree Finder by Watts; Berry Finder by Miller. We will also use other keys, floras, and manuals in various exercises. In addition, selected readings will be provided as handouts or put on reserve in the library as needed. Availability will be announced in class. You will also need notebooks and a hand lens, available at the bookstore.

Collections and the "Must-Know List":

Each student will be required to assemble a plant collection with at least 50 herbarium-quality specimens. Each specimen must be properly prepared, mounted, and with a complete and accurate label. The specimens may be of any species of the student's choosing, but I expect students to demonstrate a proper collection ethic.

During the semester, I will create and periodically update a list of species I expect the students to recognize on sight. Students must be able to provide the common name, Latin name, and family name for each species. The list will be posted for student review, and a collection of the plants will be available for examination. The species will be selected because they are common, representative of phylogenetically important family, demonstrate an adaptation of interest, or are "cool."

Service-Learning Activity

Students are required to complete a service-learning project and submit a brief report.  This could include any of the following, or another project agreed upon by the student and Dr. Weihe:

1. After practice with field work and a training session, lead a nature tour for Intersections or the public.
2. Complete a botanical survey of the Field Station or another area of interest.
3. Contribute to the project creating a database of the CUI Herbarium.

COURSE POLICIES:

1. Attendance is expected. Poor attendance WILL affect your grade. 
2. Notification of Participation in College Sanctioned Events;
   Mock Trail participants, choir tour participants, athletes, and others who must miss a class for participating in a college sanctioned event are expected to notify me in advance and complete work including tests in advance of the absence.   It is the student's responsibility to communicate with me in advance regarding their absences and determine a schedule for make up work. 
   
3. Assigned reading is to be done prior to class or lab.
4. EXAMS cover all of the material, from reading assignments, lectures and labs, since the last exam. Questions will emphasize being able to evaluate information and actively use ecological principles.
5. The FINAL EXAM is comprehensive including LECTURE and LAB.
6. Lab reports will be required for some lab exercises; they will normally be turned in the following week at the beginning of lab.
7. All safety regulations must be followed during lab exercises. Students acting in an unsafe manner will be asked to leave.
8. Each student is expected to clean-up after him/herself.
9. Plagiarism and Other Academic Dishonesty:
   Plagiarism and cheating of any form are serious offenses and may result in an F for the assignment, the course, or expulsion from the college.  The details of Central's Academic Integrity policy are found in the Student Handbook, on the web. A copy will be sent to you via e-mail during the first week of the semester. It is your responsibility to read and understand the contents of that policy before you submit work to be graded. Questions regarding the policies and enforcement of the policies may be addressed to me during class or during office hours.

Disabilities:
Central College abides by interpretations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that stipulates no student shall be denied the benefits of an education "solely by reason of a handicap."  Disabilities covered by law include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities, hearing, sight, or mobility impairments, and other health related impairments.  If you have a documented disability that may have some impact on your work in this class for which you may require accommodations, please see me and Nancy Kroese, Director of Student Support Services and Disabilities Services Coordinator, (x 5247) during the first two weeks of the semester so that such accommodations may be arranged.  
 

Letter grades will be assigned at the end of the course using the standard percentage scale: 93% or more of possible points is an A, 90-92% is an A-, 87-89% is a B+, 83-86% is a B, 80-82% is a B-, etc. These are based on the total points for the course distributed as follows:

2 exams @ 100	200
Lab Practical Exam	50
Lab exercises & quizzes	100
Service-learning activity	50
Collection	100
TOTAL points possible	500

No "extra credit" assignments are available. Note that the final course grades may be adjusted (curved) at the end of the semester to raise the average if needed. Grades will not however be curved downward (lowered).

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Aug 27-29: Weekend field trip
August & September: collecting plants, observing habitats, identification of plants, herbarium work
Oct. 5: Herbarium due (turn in specimens for grading)
Oct 12: Lab practical exam on field and herbarium skills, "must-know list."
Nov 2: Lecture exam
Nov 23: deadline to complete service-learning and submit report
Dec 13: Final exam