Biol 394 Dendrology

BIOL 394 DENDROLOGY

CATALOG DATA: Dendrology is the study of trees and woody shrubs. The course will focus on field and laboratory techniques used in the identification and classification of trees found in the mid-south region of the United States. Non-reproductive organs (leaves, bark, etc.) will be emphasized in order to identify families, genera and species in the field. Most of the class time will be spent outdoors. The course includes a mandatory three-four day trip to the gulf coast. The students will be responsible to carry out a project of identification and classification of trees. A few lectures about the flora of North America, its ecoregions and the ecology of the most common families will complement the fieldwork. Herbarium preservation techniques will be included in the laboratory work.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Students are expected 1. To be able to identify families, genera, and species, on sight, using their vegetative features. 2. To know how to use a botany identification key. 3. To know the technical and common names of trees commonly found in the Mid- South. 4. To know the distribution, habitat and economic importance of the most common tree and shrub species in the North American continent. 5. To understand the environmental factors that influence the ecoregions of North America and create their plant assemblages.

 Lecture and fieldwork: 3 credit hours  Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor; a minimum of two biology courses at the 300 or 400 level; CHEM 212.

PREREQUISITES BY TOPIC:

1. To know the basic morphology of plants. 2. To be familiar with descriptive terms used in key identification 3. To know the geography of North America. 4. To review chapters 29, 30, 35 and 38 in the Campbell Biology textbook, 10th. Edition.

TEXTBOOK RECOMMENDED: Hardin, J. W., D.J. Leopold, F. M. White. 2001. Harlow and Harrar’s Textbook of Dendrology. McGraw-Hill, Inc., N.Y., N.Y.

PROFESSOR AND COURSE COORDINATOR: A. Edward Salgado, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Biology.  Home page: http://www.cbu.edu/~esalgado  Office: CW215  Office Phone: 901-321-3450, ext. 3450  FAX: 901-321-4433  Email: [email protected] OFFICE HOURS TEACHING SCHEDULE Tuesdays 2:00 – 4:00 PM Monday 2:00 – 4:50 PM CW215 CW120

ATTENDANCE Students are expected to attend all class meetings and field trips. Students who miss three meetings (9 contact hours) may receive an “F” for the course, at my discretion.

Food and drink are not allowed in the classroom or laboratory. Cellular telephones, beepers, alarm watches and any other instrument with alarm must be turned off in class. Other electronic instruments like iPods, etc. are not allowed in class without my permission.

Students may not leave the room without permission once the lecture or lab has started.

EVALUATION: 60 pressed and mounted specimens; 10 point each. Field notebook evaluation: 20 points. Field knowledge: identification of trees and shrubs in the field. 2 lecture tests/quizzes (tentative). Assignment: International Code of Botanical Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants: 20 points

 The tests will include a practicum component in which the students will be asked to identify the species, plant family, morphological structures, etc.  Additional assignment or reports may be added with warning ahead of time.  No grade will be dropped. The final grade is the percent of the earned points. The final grade is NOT based on a curve.  Your handwriting must be intelligible. Ambiguous and/or unintelligible handwriting will receive a grade of 0 or F for the question.  You must keep your returned exam, quiz and homework papers until the beginning of the next semester.

GRADES: A = 90-100; B = 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = below 60

TENTATIVE FIELD TRIPS Louisiana Marker, AR – upland swamp Ghost River, TN – lowland swamp Wapanocca State Park, Turrell, AR – bottomland hardwood forest Crowley’s Ridge, AR – upland hardwood forest MS Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, MS – southern pine forest (tentative). Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, TN – bottomland hardwood forest

The Sandhill Crane Wildlife Refuge is near Biloxi, MS. We will stay at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory for two or three nights. There is a cost involved in this trip including gasoline, room rental, food, and park entrance fee. There may be other incidental expenses.

While in the field: 1. Review morphological features that characterize woody plant species. 2. Memorize the technical names and standard common names of those species.

LECTURE TOPICS Classification: taxonomic categories, e.g. species, infraspecific and superspecific categories. Nomenclature: International Code of Botanical Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants. Collecting and preserving specimens. Vegetative and Reproductive Morphology: http://www.ibiblio.org/botnet/oldglossary/vasc.html Paleoflora and modern flora of North America Habitat, range, and communities: environmental factors, altitude, tolerance, etc. Phytogeography of North America and Ecoregions of the United States. Flowering plant classes and families – an overview of selected families and their distinguishing characteristics.

FIELD MATERIALS RECOMMENDED: Hand lens X10. Small ruler 15cm. Notebook or clipboard. Pencil (not pen). Pocketknife or pruning shearers Binoculars

Extensive fieldwork will be done regardless of weather conditions. Appropriate clothing and shoes should be worn.

HELPFUL WEB SITES

Silvics Manual: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm Glossary of roots of botanical names: http://the-garden-gate.org/botrts.htm Vascular Plants Systematics: http://www.ibiblio.org/botnet/glossary/ International Code of Botanical Nomenclature: http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.htm Ecological subregions of the United States: http://www.fs.fed.us/land/pubs/ecoregions/toc.html Southern plants: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/floraso/species.htm Flora of North America: http://efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1 PROJECT

DESCRIPTION

The student will assemble a representative collection of native trees and shrubs of the United States. The collected specimens will be preserved and mounted on herbarium sheets. The specimens will be classified down to the species level. Standard herbarium labels will be prepared for each specimen containing the most important field notes. The collection will become part of the CBU Biology Department and will bee used for future reference and teaching.

COLLECTION

1. 60 SPECIES of native trees and shrubs. o Cultivated trees and shrubs are not acceptable. o Exceptions are ginkgoes, Atlas cedar and dawn redwoods (Metasequoia). o Ask me if you are not sure if the specimen is acceptable. o Species not native of the Mid-South are acceptable.

2. Field notebook to be used to take field notes. The notes should include most of the following information: - Collector’s name - Collection number. - Date of collection - Locality: the locality must be as precise as possible; use a GPS to find latitude and longitude. - Habitat: short description of the area, including plant associations, land contour, etc. - Plant habit including size approximation - Any unusual structures: adventitious roots, thorns, huge leaf size, etc. - Inflorescence: inflorescence type, flower color, flower sex, scent, etc. - Fruit: shape, color, scent, texture, etc. - Common name

3. Drying the specimens. When drying the specimens, special consideration must be given to the size and shape of the plant so it can fit on one herbarium sheet. Leaves should be arranged so both sides are shown after drying.

4. You are required to know and describe the silvical characteristics (habitat, morphological features, and ecology) of the following woody species common to the southern U.S. Other species will be added to this list during the field trips.

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME

Alternate leaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia American basswood Tilia americana American beech Fagus grandifolia American holly Ilex opaca American plum, Chickasaw plum Prunus americana, P. angustifolia Bald cypress Taxodium distichum Black cherry Prunus serotina Black walnut Juglans nigra Blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa Carolina, Black willow Salix caroliniana, S. nigra Cherrybark oak Quercus pagoda Chestnut, Chinkapin oak Quercus montana, Q. muhlenbergii Cucumbertree Magnolia acuminata Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Flowering dogwood Cornus florida Hercules club Aralia spinosa Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Ironwood Carpinus caroliniana Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa Overcup, Water, Pin oak Quercus lyrata, Q. nigra, Q. palustris Pawpaw Asimina triloba Pecan Carya illinoinensis Persimmon Diospyros virginiana Pignut, Shagbark, Mockernut hickory Carya glabra, C. ovata, C. tomentosa Red cedar Juniperus virginiana Red maple Acer rubrum Red mulberrry Morus rubra Redbud Cercis canadensis River birch Betula nigra Sassafras Sassafras albidum Shortleaf, Virginia pine Pinus echinata, P. virginiana Southern red, Post, Black oak Quercus falcata, Q. stellata, Q. velutina Sugar maple Acer saccharum Sweetbay magnolia Magnolia virginiana Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Sycamore Platanus occidentalis Tulip poplar Liriodendron tulipifera White pine Pinus strobus White, Green ash Fraxinus americana, F. pennsylvanica White, Scarlet oak Quercus alba, Q. coccinea Willow, Northern Red, Shumard oak Quercus phellos, Q. rubra, Q. shumardii Winged, Smooth, Staghorn sumac Rhus copallinum, R. glabra, R. typhina 5. A few introduced cultivated and naturalized species will be included in the project, e.g. ginkgo, Atlas cedar and others.