BO 120 - Field Botany and Plant Taxonomy

1. Classify and document vegetation to describe local plant communities within subregions to identify the physiognomic name/description of that ecological setting.
2. and differentiate living organisms on the basis of the Kingdom system with emphasis on the Plant Kingdom.
3. primary functions and distinguish between the forms of plant morphology to use a taxonomic field guide.
4. the techniques of collecting and preserving plant specimens while using well written, informative, and concise field notes to construct a plant collection.

Johnson, D., L. Kershaw, A. MacKinnon, & J. Pojar. (2017). Plants of the western forest: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba boreal and Aspen parkland. Partners Publishing and Lone Pine Media Publications (BC) Ltd. Edmonton, AB.

Kershaw, L and L. Allen. 2022. Vascular Flora of Alberta: An illustrated Guide. 4^th ed. (hardcopy only, electronic not acceptable for lab activities).

Krys, K. 2025. BO 120: Introduction to Botany and Plant Taxonomy Laboratory Manual. Lakeland College. (printed physical copies available from bookstore - mandatory for lab)

Resource information shared in D2L.

Required Field Equipment:

Harris, J.G., and M. Wolf Harris. 2001. Plant identification terminology: An illustrated glossary. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, Utah. (please note the 1994 version is acceptable).

Pojar, R., and E. Coulson. 2010. Trees and shrubs in winter. An identification guide for Northern British Columbia. Creekstone Press Ltd., Smithers, BC, Canada. p. 182.

Tannas, K. 2004. Common plants of the Western Rangelands. Vol. 3 Forbs. Olds College, Olds, Alberta. Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta.

Other References

ACIMS. 2017. Alberta Plant Species List App.

Dickinson, R., and F. Royer. 2014. Weeds of North America. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois; London, England.

Hale, G. N. Ambrose, A. Bogen, K. Spicer-Rawe, M. Uchikura and E. Saunders 2005. A field guide to common riparian plants of Alberta. Cows and Fish, Lethbridge, Alberta. 63 pages. (small handbook useful for wetland plants).

Stern, K.R., J.E. Bidlack and S. Jansley. 2014. Stern’s introductory plant biology. 13th ed. McGraw Hill, New York, NY.

Tannas, K. 2003. Common plants of the Western Rangelands. Vol. 1. 2^nd ed. Grasses and grass-like species. Olds College, Olds, Alberta, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta. (Great resource for forb identification).

Tannas, K. 2003. Common plants of the Western Rangelands. Vol. 2. 2^nd ed. Trees and shrubs. Olds College, Olds, Alberta. Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta. (great resource for all trees and shrubs in province).

Vitt, D. H. 2017. A guide to mosses and liverworts of Alberta Peatlands. 2^nd ed. Nait Boreal Research Institute, Peace River, AB.

Conduct of Course:
This 74-hour course consists of 42 hours of lecture and 32 hours of laboratory work. The instructor discusses this time allocation as it relates to your timetable and expected hours of homework.

The lecture component is a formalized lecture situation where student questions and participation are encouraged to clarify subject areas. Handouts, Desire 2 Learn (D2L) content, and assigned readings may supplement lecture and are considered part of the course content. Students should come to class prepared to discuss previous lecture and lab material and activities. Review of lecture content weekly is advised. Lectures support the lab by clarifying field methods and providing background information. Lecture and lab material complement each other and should be used to complete assignments, the plant collection, and prepare for exams.

Labs are conducted weekly in the field for the first five weeks for site inventory, collection, and identification of plant specimens. Field labs are a critical component of the course for collecting plant specimens and field observations for the plant collection project. Weekend field day(s) may be held, if needed, to collect plants for the plant collection, or may occur on a different weekday in lieu of the assigned lab due to the college being closed, weather, or transportation challenges. As well, students are required to collect specimens on their own time to complete the plant collection, as needed. Students who study plants prior to the field lab and prepare by reading the lab procedure complete tasks in the allotted time period. Although every effort is made to complete field labs on time, field labs may go past the allotted time period due to travel time or student efficiency, while other labs may be completed earlier than the allotted time.

Labs will be held indoors after the field portion has been completed and will occur biweekly. Your instructor will discuss the specifics of these latter labs and how this will fit into your timetable.

Labs are held regardless of weather and students must be prepared for adverse field conditions. This includes consideration of proper footwear and clothing, sunscreen, insect repellent, and food and water. Students are also responsible for bringing proper field equipment to the lab including the field journal, field guide, plant press, bags, pruners, and lab procedure. The remainder of the labs are in a classroom setting and focus on developing the skills required to use a taxonomic key for plant identification. Students are expected to be punctual and prepared for labs on a weekly basis and must bring the required materials to complete the lab activity.

Exams are conducted in the time provided for students during lecture and/or lab or on D2L. One lab exam may be delivered in the evening to accommodate delivery of the exam to many students in a larger classroom. Some assignments are in class assignments that must be completed in the time provided.

Being punctual for lab and lecture, regular attendance, participation, and good to excellent time management skills by the student is an integral part of student success in this class.

Plant study nights are held, and students are highly encouraged to participate in this activity to help with identification of plant species that will be on the plant ID exam.

Classroom and laboratory attendance is considered vital to the learning process and as significant to the students’ evaluation as examinations and reports, therefore absenteeism is recorded.

• Students having a combination of excused and/or unexcused absence of 20 percent or higher for the scheduled course hours can be required to withdraw and would then automatically receive a “RW” (required withdrawal) for the course, regardless of any other evaluation results. (RW is a failing grade).
• An excused absence is one that is verified with your instructor. Verification should be prior to the absence or the next class day following the absence. Verification of the absence may take the form of a note from your doctor/College nurse regarding illness, or a note from another instructor regarding a field trip or other activity, or authorization by your instructor following an in-person meeting. Be sure to contact your instructor and ask what they will require from you as verification of each absence. An unexcused absence is anything NOT verified by the instructor prior to the absence or the next class day following the absence.

It is the students’ responsibility to know their own absentee record.

Normal hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with potential for evening courses, exams, or extended field trips. Students are expected to be available for classes during these times.

Content of Course:
Lectures:

Note that the order of delivery of lecture content may be switched in order to compliment lab activities. Some material may be delivered on D2L.

Unit 1. Introduction to Field Botany

Unit 2. Vegetative Plant Morphology for Spot Identification

Unit 3. Advanced Identification and Morphology of Taxonomic Groups, Growth Forms and species.

Unit 4. The Science of Botany: Application and Ecological Value

Unit 5. Vegetation Physiognomy

Unit 6. Advanced Morphology of the Angiospermae

Unit 7. Plant Taxonomy and Classification

Unit 8. The Plant Kingdom: The Seedless Vascular Plants

Unit 9. The Plant Kingdom: The Seed Producing Vascular Plants

Laboratory Topics

Note: The order of laboratory topics shown does not necessarily reflect the order given of labs and may change due to weather and field conditions, as well as lab scheduled holidays. Some lab topics will be combined if necessary to effectively deliver the content in a timely manner.

1. Getting to know plants: introduction into plant morphology, growth forms and collecting plants. This lab is completed independently using D2L and is to be completed prior to the first field lab when possible. Content will be reviewed in lab and lecture but students who complete the activity will be prepared for the first and subsequent field labs.
2. Woodland- Parkland Natural Region: description of community related to ecology, growth forms, physiognomy, and species composition; collection of plant species.
3. Native grassland- Parkland Natural Region: description of community related to ecology, growth forms, physiognomy, and species composition; collection of plant species.
4. Weed species and agronomic crops- Parkland Natural Region: description of community related to ecology, growth forms, physiognomy, and species composition, collection of plant species. (self-directed study and lab collection)
5. Pond/wetland- Parkland Natural Region: description of community related to ecology, growth forms, physiognomy, and species composition; collection of plant species.
6. Peatland and upland forest- Boreal Forest Natural Region description of community related to growth forms, ecology, physiognomy, and species composition, collection of plant species.
7. Winter form Woodland- Parkland Natural Region: Identification of common native trees and shrubs in their winter form; Plant Identification exam on woodland species.
8. Introduction to keying and using the Vascular Flora of Alberta.
9. Keying of a variety of species using the Vascular Flora of Alberta from the Angiospermae (may include families such as Asteraceae, Onagraceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Plantaginaceae, Labiatae, Liliaceae, Rosaceae) Gymnospermae subdivisions (Pinaceae, Cupressaceae) and Pteridophyta Division (Equisetaceae). These labs develop the skill of keying and promote the understanding of plant taxonomy, classification, and nomenclature. Identification of woody plants in their winter form is also developed.

In order to receive full credit for this course, consider the following:

• Lab attendance is mandatory. An absence, excused or unexcused, could result in a zero for the lab and/or any assignments related to that lab session. Students are responsible for communicating with the instructor with regards to absences that may occur.
• A student who does miss a lab (excused or unexcused) is expected to make up that lab in consultation with the instructor. If the lab cannot be repeated, an additional or different assignment may be assigned to the student who misses the lab.
• The importance of attendance cannot be overstated. In order to receive a mark for any assigned and completed work due or handed in during that lecture or lab, students must be in attendance. Students who are absent during in-class assignments are not typically allowed to make up these exercises for marks but may be required to complete them for learning practice.
• Where reasonable, students will be encouraged to use Generative AI as a learning tool and in a collaborative manner. This is meant to be used to enhance student learning and understanding, improving the student’s capacity to complete work and think critically. Content created by generative AI programming including but not limited to Chat GPT, Microsoft Copilot and Grammarly for example should never be copied into a submissible assignment unless explicitly told to do so in the assignment instructions. In any instances of use it will be expected that students will reference the Generative AI used and provide a copy of the prompts.
• The student must receive a 50% or better (D) for the overall course evaluation.
• Late or incomplete assignments or reports are given a one-day reprieve with a 25% reduction in the total mark, after which more than one day late a zero is assigned to the work.
• Cheating and plagiarism of any kind, including copying others’ assignments, reports, lab work, or using another person’s ideas for your own are not tolerated. At the very least, a mark of zero is assigned to any assignment or test where this occurs, or the student may receive a zero for the whole course.

All due dates of evaluations are provided in class at the beginning of the term.

All assignments and exams are graded on a percentage (%) basis. Then, a total course percentage is calculated using the above weighting values. Finally, the total course percentage is converted to a letter grade basis using the scheme below.

• Official final grades will be available on My Lakeland. Grades posted in D2L should be considered interim grades.  
• “Lakeland College is committed to the highest academic standards. Students are expected to be familiar with Lakeland College policies and to abide by these policies. Violations of these policies are considered to be serious and may result in suspension or expulsion from the College.”  

Students must maintain a cumulative grade of C (GPA - Grade Point Average of 2.00) in order to qualify to graduate.

Every effort has been made to ensure that information in this course outline is accurate at the time of publication. Lakeland College reserves the right to change courses if it becomes necessary so that course content remains relevant.

In such cases, the instructor will give students clear and timely notice of changes.

No part of this course outline may be reproduced in any form or resold without written permission from Lakeland College.

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