BI3PDI2: Plant Diversity and Identification

Module code: BI3PDI2

Module provider: School of Biological Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Alastair Culham, email: a.culham@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Julie Hawkins, email: j.a.hawkins@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The aims of this module are to develop skills in the identification of plants and the accompanying vocabulary of plant morphology, to understand the basis of phylogenetic classification, to develop a working knowledge of the taxonomic system on which classification is based and to become familiar with the working of a herbarium. 

The purpose of the module is to prepare students to work in plant related disciplines where plant identification using conventional methods is necessary such as ecological consultancy, botanical research, herbarium research and field ecology.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Interpret reproductive and vegetative structures
2. Recognise the combinations of characters used to define plant families
3. Use keys or other identification aids to place an unknown plant in a named family
4. Describe the principle morphological features of the principal groups of lycophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms
5. Identify the underlying evidence and principles of molecular systematics, the construction of phylogenetic trees, and the interpretation of phylogeny within a taxonomic framework
6. Describe the processes involved in running and managing a herbarium collection, the requirements to fulfil in making a good herbarium specimen. The students will be able to communicate plant diversity to a non-specialist audience.

Module content

The module is based around the book Plant Systematics by M.G. Simpson and students will be set weekly reading from this that will be discussed the following week through a question and answer session. The basic structure of land plants will be introduced and the terminology used in descriptive botany explained. The characteristic features and relationships of the major groups of lycophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms are presented. Morphological features will be considered by reference to living and preserved material and illustrations. Recognition of the major families will be taught as a particularly useful first step in plant identification. Selected temperate and tropical plant families will be discussed in terms of their defining characteristics, their role in major plant communities, and their economic importance. The interpretation of living and herbarium material, molecular data, phylogenies and other plant diversity measures will be introduced. In addition there will be practical use of herbarium and living plant specimens to aid in the understanding of botanical terminology and plant identification. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching of taxonomic theory will be guided reading set each week and this will be discussed in a question and answer session the following week in class discussion. Learning will be through the set reading and class discussion of that reading. 

The emphasis of class teaching for plant identification will be interactive practicals where plant families are introduced through living, herbarium and image-based specimens. Learning will be through interaction with plant specimens and images during practical classes, peer discussion and question and answer with the teaching staff.  Further learning will be through formative plant identification tests. 

A day visit to a local botanical garden will be offered towards the end of term where students will have an opportunity to practice identification skills. 

Preparation for the blog/vlog assessment will include a short seminar on writing/recording material for science outreach.  Learning will be through peer evaluation of draft work. 

Study hours

At least 60 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Weekly question and answer sessions on set reading including interaction with and use of the Blackboard discussion board. 

Reflective plant identification tests in the last weeks of the semester. 

Reassessment

Additional costs