| CODE | BIO3550 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Plant Systematics | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Biology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is designed to equip the student with theoretical and practical knowledge of procedures and techniques for the identification of plants and their position in a system of classification. The programme will consist of an integrated series of lectures, practical workshops, and short field sessions on campus, all of which are intended to provide students with the tools and principles required to describe and classify plants. Topics covered include: 1. History of plant systematics 2. Principles of botanical nomenclature 3. Type specimens 4. Use of taxonomic backbones 5. Using documentary sources to trace distribution history 6. Botanical description 7. Preparation of herbarium specimens and compilation of a digital herbarium 8. Development of taxonomic keys 9. Tracing plant phylogeny 10. Taxonomic characteristics of selected plant families (fieldwork). Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims to introduce students to the tools and principles used for the classification of plants. The course aims to be as practical as possible, comprising a series of workshops covering botanical nomenclature, botanical description, tracing vegetation history, preparing herbarium specimens, and tracing plant phylogeny. There is also a frequent field component, where will be introduced to specific plant families and will collect specimens that will be used as the basis of a botanical description and the preparation of a herbarium specimen. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Use the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants to resolve issues in nomenclature; - Use taxonomic backbones and herbaria to evaluate the phylogeny of a group of plants; - Name the principal structures of angiosperms in order to be able to use taxonomic keys; - Recognise several species of plants; - Write a detailed botanical description of a plant; - List the principal characteristics of the main plant families. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Construct a taxonomic key based on a botanical description. - Apply and revise nomenclature correctly; - Use taxonomic keys to identify unknown specimens; - Observe and describe plant structures; - Use software for tracing phylogenies. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Beentje, H. (2012). The Kew Plant Glossary. Kew Publishing - Simpson, M.G. (2019). Plant Systematics. Third Edition. Elsevier. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Study-units: BSc Hons Biology 1st and 2nd year study-units | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Practical and Fieldwork | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Sandro Lanfranco |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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