Lecture Outlines SFR 107 Fall 2015 - Exam 1
Lecture 1 September 1, 2015
Introduction
 Review syllabus, resources (web sites, flashcards)
 Dendrology, woody plant, forest cover type, forest stand definitions
 Extent and distribution of forests
 Climatic parameters (precipitation, temperature)
 Geographic and species ranges, naturalized range, habitat
 US forest regions
 Northeast forest type percentages
 Maine forest type percentages and ownership
 Maine forests (history, forest area, farm abandonment, etc)
- Comments on on-campus lab today (print species spreadsheet, bring MFS field guide to
lab for keying out a plant using the summer key)
Lecture 2 September 3, 2015
Comments on lab/keys, flashcards, texts
 Dendrology/taxonomy/plant classification system
 Binomial nomenclature – Scientific names, system for naming species (family,
genus, species and author abbreviation)
 Common and vernacular names
 Species ID – clues and convergence of evidence, based on profile/form, leaves,
twigs, buds, flowers, fruit, site relationships and disturbance factors.
 Dichotomous plant ID keys (summer and winter)
 Leaf structure (simple vs compound) check buds, petiole, leaflets and rachis
 Leaf arrangement (alt., opp., whorled)
 Leaf shapes (ovate, linear, elliptical, etc)
 Leaf margins (smooth, wavy, toothed (dentate, serrate, etc)
 Lobes and venation (pinnate, palmate, parallel)
 Twig characteristics (buds, leaf scars, stipules)
 Pith (solid or homogeneous, chambered, etc)
 Conifer needles (needle, awl, scale)
 Flower arrangements (raceme, cyme, etc)
 Fruit type and terms (drupe, pome, berries, samaras, etc)
 Bark characteristics (smooth, scaly, furrowed, etc)
 Branching patterns (excurrent, decurrent)
NOTE: Practice flash cards and review texts for Quiz 1 species ID and correct spelling of
family, genus, species, and common name.
Lecture 3 September 8, 2015
-Comments on lab quiz and next week’s lab
-Recap/Questions (leaf shapes/margins/terms, etc)
-Pronunciation of plant names on Conn. And Virginia Tech. Dendro Web site
 Historical disturbance and land use history
 Aspen- birch forest type introduction (pioneer species and disturbed sites)
 wildlife habitat (woodcock, ruffed grouse examples)
 Salicaceae – willow family (poplars, willows) overview
 Genus Salix
 Black willow
 Genus Populus
 Quaking or trembling aspen
 Big tooth aspen
 Balsam poplar
 Eastern cottonwood
- Comments on lab today (Gardner Road, aspen-birch early successional forest type) –
practice for quiz with flashcards
Lecture 4 September 10, 2015
-Comments on lab (quiz 1) Practice flash cards – spelling.
-Recap of last lecture/last week (Salix and Populus BRFs)
 Plant succession, habitat (biophysical relationships), shade tolerance rating for
various species
 Habitat, range, topography, forest cover type, clues in identification
 Betulaceae – birch family (genera Betula, Ostrya, Alnus, Corylus)
 Genus Betula
 Gray birch
 Paper birch
 Yellow birch
 Other genera (Betulaceae cont.)
 Ostrya (hop-hornbeam)
 Corylus (beaked hazel)
 Alnus (speckled alder)
Lecture 5 September 15, 2015
-Recap/Questions - Belulaceae family, Betula BRFs, and other genera (3 more we cover)
-MADCapAdox_Horse mnemonic (Below is the “M” for maple)
 Northern hardwood forest type (beech, birch, maple) introduction
 Aceraceae – maple family
 Sugar maple
 Norway maple
 Sugar vs. Norway maple







Red maple
Silver maple
Box elder
Striped maple
Mtn. maple
Uses of all (can get sugar from red and silver maple too)
Lab- Northern hardwoods and understory plants this week
Lecture 6 September 17, 2015
-Comments on lab Quiz 2
-Help session sign-up
-Recap/ questions – maples BRFs
 Tiliaceae – basswood family
 Tilia (American basswood)
 Ulmaceae –elm family
 (Ulmus) American elm
 Hamameliaceae – witch hazel family
 Hamamelis (witch hazel)
 1st Lab Practical next week (20 plants)
Lecture 7 September 22, 2015
-Comments
-Recap/questions on Tilia, Ulmus, and Hamamelis -BRFs
 Elm-Ash-Red maple forest type (swamp hardwoods, riparian) introduction
 Oleaceae - Olive family
 Genus Fraxinus MADCapAdox_Horse (Below is the “A” for ash)
 Green ash
 Black ash
 White ash
 Rosaceae – Rose family
 Genus Prunus
 Black cherry
 Choke cherry
 Pin cherry
 Lab practicum today/tomorrow – 20 plants (no new species this week after
practicum/ no quiz next week but new species in lab, preliminary exam 1 next
Thursday)
Lecture 8 September 24, 2015
-Comments/results of lab practicum 1
-Help session sign-up
-Recap/questions on Fraxinus and Prunus BRFs
-How is the course going – informal survey questions
–Preliminary exam 1 next Thursday, October 3 (comments at end of lecture).
 Rosaceae – rose family (Sorbus, Rosa, Crataegus, Malus, Prunus, Rubus,
Amelanchier, Fragaria)
 Rosa spp. (rose)
 Crataegus spp.(Hawthorn)
 Malus spp. (apple)
 Sorbus spp. (mountain-ash)
 Rubus spp. (brambles, blackberry, etc)
 Amelanchier spp. (serviceberry)
 Fragaria spp. (strawberry)
-Remember MADCapAdox_Horse (Below is the Cap and Adox!)
 Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle family)
 Genus Lonicera (honeysuckle)
 Adoxaceae (Moschatel family)
 Genus Viburnum
 Hobblebush
 Maple-leaf viburnum
 Genus Sambucus
 American elder
-Preliminary exam 1 - Thursday, Oct. 2nd. An outline of lectures and study notes will be
on web site. There will be some time for review and questions at Tuesday lecture.
-Comments on next lab (riparian forest & misc. tree/shrubs). No lab quiz next week.
Lecture 9 September 29, 2015
-Recap/Questions on Rosaceae family (8 genera that we covered) Caprifoliaceae and
Adoxaceae
-Remember MADCapAdox_Horse (Below is the “D” for dogwood)
 Cornaceae – dogwood family
 Genus Cornus
 Red-osier dogwood
 Alternate leaf dogwood
 Bunchberry
 Review/prep for preliminary exam 1 (study notes and lecture outline on web site,
sample questions provided as a handout during lecture period)
Preliminary Exam 1 – October 1, 2015 (125 points)