Instructor: Daniel Potter, Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Description: As we rush to classes and appointments across campus, we pass by an amazing diversity of plant life—but how often do we take notice of these species? If you think about it, there are a lot of interesting questions to ask about the plants on campus. Are these species native to California or introduced from some other part of the world? Were they intentionally planted as ornamentals or are they just weeds? And what exactly is a weed, anyway? Is it safe to eat that fruit that looks so tempting? Who planted the trees you sit beneath during your lunch break, and how long have they been there? With its sizeable botanical collections and horticultural plantings, the UC Davis campus provides an excellent introduction into the world of botany and the study of plant diversity. For example, the UC Davis Arboretum contains many native California trees, shrubs, and herbs, as well as many other species from around the world. The National Germplasm Repository maintains extensive collections of cultivated species of grape, almond, apricot, fig, olive, and kiwifruit, to name just a few. In addition to these resources, a wide range of ornamental and edible plants, both native and non-native, are found across campus. Postdoctoral fellow Shawn Krosnick and Professor Dan Potter will guide students through an exploration of plant diversity on our campus, discussing various species from phylogenetic, evolutionary, ethnobotanical, and historical perspectives. Once we know we can learn more about the botanical diversity that is around us every day on campus, a new opportunity to appreciate the beauty of nature will present itself. In this course, students will receive a broad introduction to botanical study, with topics spanning gross morphology, principles of plant classification, use of dichotomous keys to determine unknown plants, ethnobotanical applications of cultivated and native species, and ecological aspects relating to species of particular interest. Students with diverse academic backgrounds will benefit from this course, regardless of the strength of their background in biology. This course aims to increase students interest in botany and for the natural sciences in general. As a result, students should have a greater appreciation for the diversity of plant life observed on the UC Davis campus as well as other places they may live, work, or visit in the future.
Format: The seminar will meet once each week for one hour and fifty minutes throughout the quarter. The course will begin with lectures and laboratory experiences to introduce students to plant diversity and terminology associated with plant identification. Several field trips and activities are scheduled to the UC Davis Arboretum, the National Germplasm Repository, and to specific locations on campus with plants of particular interest. Background readings, consisting of one or two brief (10-15 pages) articles or book chapters, will be provided for each of the introductory lectures and several of the field trips. Students will be required to complete a short weekly writing assignment relating to topics covered during class from the previous week. In addition, students will work in pairs or small groups to complete a research project for an end-of-quarter presentation on a topic of their choice. Some time will be allowed in class for students to work on the projects, which, depending on the topic, will be based on a combination of literature research, field work, and interviews. Students will prepare self and peer evaluations with team members. Grading: Grades will be based on 1) in-class participation 20%; 2) weekly writing assignments 50%; and 3) team projects 30%.
About the Instructors: Professor Potter is a member of the faculty in the recently established Department of Plant Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The primary focus of his research is angiosperm systematics, the study of the diversity, phylogeny, and classification of flowering plants, especially crop plants and their wild relatives. Specific projects include examinations of phylogenetic relationships and character evolution across Rosaceae, the rose family, using DNA sequence data, and of the relationships between one group of species in that family and the nitrogen-fixing bacteria with which they form symbiotic associations. He also has an active interest in ethnobotany, the study of the direct relationships and interactions between plants and people. He participates in teaching the following courses: Plants and the Biosphere, California Floristics, Principles and Methods of Ethnobotany, and the Genetics and Evolution portion of the Plant Biology Graduate Group Core Course. Postdoctoral Fellow Shawn Krosnick is currently working in the Department of Plant Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Her research focuses on the topical plant family Passifloraceae, which contains ornamental species of passionflowers as well as edible species of passionfruit. Her current research centers on the evolution of nectarines, or sugar-secreting structures, in Passifloraceae. Her research seeks to uncover the historical pattern of diversification in these important structures using anatomical, morphological, and molecular data.