PlantBiology,BIOL3150
Courseobjectives:
Uponsuccessfulcompletionofthecourse,studentswill
• Demonstrateknowledgeofthebasicstructureandphysiologyofplants
• Demonstrateanunderstandingoftheroleofplantsinglobalecosystems
• Recognizethekeyfeaturesofmajorplantsgroups
• Appreciatetheroleofwildanddomesticatedplantsinhumancultures
• Appreciatetheproblemsposedbyinvasiveplants
• Demonstrateexpertiseininvasiveplantmanagementstrategies
Instructor:
Dr.CarolGoodwillie
Office:HowellScienceComplexRoomS406
Email(preferredoverphoneforcontact):goodwilliec@ecu.edu
RequiredTextbook:PlantBiology
Wewilluseacustomtextforthiscourse,createdfromchaptersofexistingMcGrawHill
textbooksongeneralandplantbiology.
Classsessions:
Classroomtimewillbeusedforlectures,in-classactivitiesanddiscussions.Powerpointlecture
fileswillbepostedby10amonthedayofthelecture.Powerpointfileswillcontainminimal
textinformation,soattendanceinclassandnote-takingwillbenecessarytobesuccessfulin
theclass.
Examsandassignments:
Exams:Therewillbetwohourlyexamsduringthesemesterandonefinalexam.Thefinalexam
willcoverthecumulativecoursematerialaswellassomenewmaterialattheendofthe
course.Examswillconsistofmultiplechoice,true/false,matchingandsomeshortanswer
questions.
Thanksgivinglunch:TheTuesdaybeforeThanksgiving,wewillhaveabotanybanquet.Students
willprepareadishofsomekindandidentifythesource(plantspeciesandfamily)ofallplants
included.
In-classexercises:Therewillbeapproximately11shortin-classexercises,worth0.5pointeach.
ThesewillgenerallyNOTbeannouncedinclass,soyouareencouragedtoattendlecture
regularlytoreceivethiscredit.Thelowestin-classexercisegradewillbedropped,foratotal
of5points.
Service-learning:Thiscourseinvolvesaservice-learningcomponentassociatedwiththe
controlofinvasiveplantspeciesinourcommunity.Invasiveplants(aggressivespeciesthat
havebeenintroducedfromanotherregion)candisplacenativespeciesanddiminishthe
estheticandecologicalqualityofthehabitat.Severalofthesespecieshavebeenidentifiedby
theRecreationandParksDepartmentasaproblemforthemanagementofGreenvilleparks
andnaturalareas.WorkingwithcommunitypartnersintheGreenvilleRecreationandParks
Departmentandanon-profitgroup,studentswillbeintroducedtolocalinvasiveplantspecies,
participateinphysicalremovalofplantsatlocalnaturalareas,proposeamanagementplanfor
invasiveplantcontrolintheseareas,andexchangeideasandknowledgewithcommunity
partners.Basicconceptsinplantbiologypresentedinlectures,suchasphotosynthesis,
nutrientuptake,andreproductivestrategies,willinformstudents’understandingofwhy
certainplantsbecomeinvasiveandhowtheycanbecontrolled.
Servicelearningfieldwork:Studentsarerequiredtoparticipateinthreelocalfieldtripstothe
Greenvillegreenwaysattimestobearranged.Duringthesetrips,studentswillgatherdatato
assessinvasiveplantpopulationdensitiesanddistribution,physicallyremoveinvasiveplants,
andobserve,exploreandlearnaboutassociatednativeplantspecies.
Communitypartners:Ontwotothreeclassroomperiods,studentswillhavetheopportunityto
meetwithrepresentativesofcommunitypartnerstodiscusstheirservice-learningwork.
Workingingroups,studentswillpresentrecommendationstocommunitypartnersonhowbest
tocontinuetomanagespecificinvasiveplantsinGreenvillenaturalareasattheendofthe
semester.Presentationswillbeevaluatedbythefollowingcriteria:1)effectiveuseofgraphical
media,2)clarityofspokencommunication,3)appropriatestructure(introductionofspecies,
managementrecommendation,rationale,conclusions),4)responsestoquestions
Assessmentofservice-learning:Uponcompletionofthecourse,studentswillhavean
opportunitytoevaluateandcommentontheservice-learningexperienceanditscontribution
tolearningandtothecommunity.Duringthelastclasssession,studentswillbeaskedto
completeaquestionnaireaddressing:
• Towhatextentandhowdidtheservice-learningactivitiescontributetoyour
understandingofcoursematerialonplantstructureandfunction?
• Inwhatways,ifany,hasservice-learningcontributedtoyourprofessional
development?
•
Discusswhethertheservice-learningactivitieshaveaffectedyourviewson
invasiveplantsandtheroleofcitizensasstewardsofnaturalhabitats
One-pagewrittenassignments:Therewillbefourofthese,duedatespostedonsyllabus.
Threeassignmentswillbeassociatedwiththeservice-learningcomponentofthecourse.
Assignment1:Summaryandanalysisofajournalarticleoninvasiveplantbiology
Studentswillprovideatwopagesummaryandcriticalreviewofanassigned
articlefromtheprimaryliteratureonalocalinvasiveplant(Lespedezacuneata).
Studentswillrelatethereadingtopersonalexperiencesinclassfieldwork.
Paperswillbeevaluatedonthefollowingcriteria:1)summaryincludesallmajor
objectives,methodsandfindingsofthestudy,2)discussionidentifieskey
strengthsandweaknessesofthestudy,3)afinalparagraphisincludedthat
relatesdirectexperienceswithLespedezaremovaltotheconceptsaddressedin
thepaper,4)writingisgrammaticallycorrectandformattingisappropriate.
Assignment2:Journal-stylereflectionsoninvasiveplantremoval
Studentswillwriteathreepagejournal-styleaccountoftheirreflectionsand
observationsduringservice-learningfieldactivities.Journalswillbeevaluated
onthefollowingcriteria:1)reflectsonthepersonalchallengesand/orrewards
oftheservice-learningfieldwork,2)reflectsonwaysinwhichtheprocesscould
beimprovedeitherintermsofstudentexperienceorcommunitycontributions,
2)includesnaturalhistoryobservationsoflocalplants,3)relatesobservationsto
lecturematerialincourse,4)writingisgrammaticallycorrect.
Assignment3:Journal-styleaccountofplantgrowthobservations
Studentswillwriteatwopagepaperbasedonobservationsofgrowthofabulb
(materialsprovidedbyinstructor).Thepaperwillincludeobservationsmade
duringtheone-monthgrowthprocessandadiscussionrelatingobservationsto
coursematerial.Evaluationwillbebasedonthefollowingcriteria:1)provides
detailedaccountingofobservationsofroot,leafandflowerstructureand
growth,2)discussesthefunctionofeachplantpart,3)discussestheroleofthe
bulbandotherstructuresassourcesandsinksinphloemtransport,4)writingis
grammaticallycorrect.
Assignment4:ProposalforinvasiveplantmanagementplansforGreenvillegreenways
Studentswillworkinteamsofthreeorfourtowriteafourpageproposalfor
managementofaparticularinvasiveplantinaGreenvillenaturalarea.The
proposalwilldrawonprimaryliteraturesourcesaswellaspersonalobservations
and/ordatafromservice-learningactivities.Evaluationwillbebasedonthe
followingcriteria:1)discussesaspectsofthespecies’lifehistory,reproduction
andotherbiologyandrelatesthesetoitsdegreeofinvasiveness,2)summarizes
managementstrategiesavailable,3)recommendsthemostsuitable
managementstrategy,andprovidesjustificationforrecommendation,4)
incorporatesfieldobservationsand/ordataintomanagementplan,5)writingis
grammaticallycorrect.
GRADING:
Exams:
Writtenassignments:
In-classexercises:
Participationin
Service-learningfieldactivities:
Presentationtocommunitypartners:
Total: 54points(18pointseach)
20points(5pointseach)
5points(0.5pointseach)
15points
6points
100points
Tentativesyllabus–lecturetopics(28total,2classes/week)
1. Introtoplants,invasivespecies,courseintro
2. Introductiontoservice-learningandproject,meetwithcommunitypartners
3. Basicplantstructuresandtissuetypes/Assignment1due
4. Discussionofinvasiveplantbiologypaper
5. Photosynthesis
6. Photosynthesiscont’d
7. Transportinplants
8. Transportcont’d
9. Plantsensorysystems/Assignment2due
10. Discussionofservice-learningfieldexperiences,examreview
11. EXAMI
12. Plantnutritionandsoils
13. Plantnutritionandsoilscont’d
14. Specialtrophicstrategiesinplants(parasitism,carnivory)
15. Plantdefenses
16. Plantreproduction,sexualandasexual
17. Plantreproductioncont’d
18. Plant/pollinatorinteractions
19. Fruitandseeddispersal/Assignment3due
20. Plantdiversity–seedlessplants,gymnosperms
21. Plantdiversity–angiospermevolution
22. Plantdiversity–majorplantfamilies
23. EXAMII
24. Originsofagriculture
25. Thanksgivingluncheon,discussion,planttriviacompetition
26. Evolutionofmajorcropspecies/Assignment4due
27. Meetingwithcommunityrepresentatives,discussionofplantinvasions
28. Wrapupdiscussionofservice-learningexperience,20minutesreservedforanonymous
writtenevaluationofSLexperience,reviewofmaterialforfinal