BIMFBS: Field Botany Skills

Module code: BIMFBS

Module provider: School of Biological Sciences

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Jonathan Mitchley, email: j.mitchley@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Alastair Culham, email: a.culham@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: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module introduces students to field botanical skills and the common families of vascular plants in the UK, it develops practical identification skills and the use of keys and other advanced aids to the identification of plants including herbarium skills.  The module develops understanding of the ecology of plants and vegetation assessment using the methodology of UKHab and  NVC survey.

Aims:

• To introduce common families of vascular plants in the UK
• To develop practical identification skills to genus and species level including the use of keys and other aids to the identification
• To provide an appreciation of the role of a herbarium and how to collect and prepare herbarium specimens
• To develop understanding of the ecology of plants and vegetation assessment

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Recognise common families of flowering plants in the UK
2. Identify a wide range of vascular plants accurately to genus and species level using living material in the lab and in the field
3. Construct and evaluate a key to identify plants
4. Collect and prepare a herbarium specimen
5. Have an understanding of the ecology of plants and vegetation assessment

Module content

• Introduction to plants, plant identification and field botany skills
• The parts of a flower and floral formulae
• Families of flowering plants in the UK
• Identification of common UK vascular plants to genus and species from vegetative and flowering specimens in the lab and field and using microscopes and keys and advanced aids
• Writing and evaluating keys to aid identification of plants
• Herbarium skills including preparing a herbarium specimen
• Ecology of plants and vegetation assessment in Britain

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Seminars, workshops, lab sessions for plant ID, field classes for plant ID and vegetation assessment 

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 50% 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.

Reassessment

Additional costs