COURSE SYLLABUS
FWF 212 Dendrology and Silvics of North American Trees
Spring 2015
Instructor(s):
Chris Graves
275 Ellington PSB
office: (865) 974-1568
cell: (828) 550-7909
cgraves2@utk.edu
Office Hours:
By Appointment
GTA- Max Cox
mcox31@vols.utk.edu
Class Website: Online@UT- Blackboard (https://bblearn.utk.edu/). Be sure to check your email on a very regular basis.
Meeting Time & Place: Thursdays, Lecture 11:10am-1:55pm; Lab 2:10-4:55pm --- Room 101
Ellington Plant Sciences bldg.
Course Credit Hours: 3 credits
Catalog Description: Identification, classification, and nomenclature of important North
American trees and woody shrubs. Forest associations. Silvicultural characteristics of trees and
stands as the basis for the practice of silviculture. Day field trips will be required.
Required Texts:
1) Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide. Brown et al. Copyright 2007.
2) Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada. Eyre, F.H. SAF 1980.
***Students should purchase a hand lense and carry a pocket knife.
Optional Text:
1) Hardin et al. 2001. Harlow & Harrar’s Textbook of Dendrology, 9th edition.
Lab Website from Fall: http://fwf.ag.utk.edu/dendro/home.htm
Another Good Website: http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/main.htm
Course Objectives:
1) To learn summer and winter key characteristics for identification of over 100 North American woody
plant species.
2) To become fluent in the scientific (Latin) names of the woody species learned.
3) To develop an understanding of the silvics of the species learned, which include information such as
shade tolerance, adaptations to disturbance, reaction to competition, growth rates, and site requirements.
4) To become familiar with the reaction of tree species to different management practices, site factors
such as aspect, soil fertility, soil moisture, and disturbance, and ecological interactions with other species
including trees, herbaceous plants, and animals.
*Study time beyond lecture and lab is on your own, or preferably with a partner or group, and is generally
required to successfully achieve goals 1 and 2. Take advantage of all opportunities to see key
characteristics pointed out by the instructors during lab sections, and do not fall behind in studying
species assigned during any given week. Goals 3 and 4 will be achieved through lecture and discussions
in the field. Come to lecture and lab prepared to take notes.
Grading Practices:




Quizzes
Lab Practicals (Seed ID, Twig ID, Field Exam, Leaf ID)
Lecture Exam
Twig Collection (optional)
20%
55%
25%
Up to 5% added
Grading Scale:
A
B+
B
C+
C
D
F
90 -100%
85 - 89%
80 - 84%
75 - 79%
70 - 74%
60 - 69%
0 - 59%
Questions about Grades and Other Academic Issues: from UT Hill Topics
Issues related to grades or academic coursework should first be addressed with the course
instructor, then the appropriate department head, and finally the dean of the college in which the
course is offered. If an appropriate solution cannot be reached through discussions with these
individuals, the Director of the Student Success Center (for undergraduate students) or the staff
of the Office of Graduate Student Services (for graduate students) can offer assistance regarding
the best “next steps” for problem resolution.
Date
February 26 (tentative)
March 16-20
TBA
April 24
April 30
May 4 (tentative)
Important Dates
Activities
Field Trip to Great Smoky Mountains NP (7:30-After Dark)
Spring Break
Twig Collections Due
Classes End
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Final Exam)
10:15 a.m. – 12:15 a.m. (Leaf ID Exam)
*THE INSTRUCTOR(s) RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REVISE, ALTER AND/OR
AMEND THIS SYLLABUS, AS NECESSARY. STUDENTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF
ANY SUCH REVISIONS, ALTERATIONS AND/OR AMENDMENTS.
For information regarding policies related to discrimination, scholastic dishonesty, cheating,
plagiarism, and students with disabilities- refer to the online UT catalog at http://catalog.utk.edu/