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Fall 2026 Syllabus
Instructor
Santosh Rana Magar
Email: skranamagar@ysu.edu
Course Description
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Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little Brown & Company | Newcomb, L. (1977) | ISBN-10 : 0316604429 / ISBN-13 : 978-0316604420 |
| Optional | The Herbarium Handbook: Sharing Best Practice from Across the Globe. Kew Publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. | Davies, N. M., Drinkell, C., & Utteridge, T. M. (Eds.). (2023) | |
| Optional | Practical plant identification: including a key to native and cultivated flowering plants in north temperate regions. Cambridge University Press. | Cullen, J. (2006) | |
| Optional | Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary (2nd edn.). University Press of Colorado, USA. | Harris, J.G., & Harris, M.W. (2001) |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Day | Date | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 8/24 | Course syllabus; introductory Ohio flora resources | Ch. 1 – Introduction to Field Botany & Ohio Flora: Field botany, floristic knowledge, native/non-native/invasive plants, Ohio flora, field notebooks, botanical observation, and semester project introduction. | Quiz 1 – Introduction to Field Botany |
| Mon | 8/31 | Plant classification and nomenclature materials | Ch. 2 – Plant Classification & Evolution: Major plant groups, evolutionary transitions, taxonomic hierarchy, scientific nomenclature, and importance of taxonomy in invasive-plant documentation. | Quiz 2 – Classification, nomenclature, and major plant groups |
| Mon | 9/7 | Vegetative morphology terminology/handout | Ch. 3 – Vegetative Morphology: Roots, stems, leaves, arrangement, attachment, margins, venation, surface characteristics, and diagnostic vegetative terminology. | Quiz 3 – Vegetative morphology |
| Mon | 9/14 | Reproductive morphology and fruit/seed terminology | Ch. 4 – Reproductive Morphology: Flowers, inflorescences, fruits, seeds, monocots vs. eudicots, and dispersal mechanisms relevant to plant invasion. | Photo-document 5 fruit/seed types with dispersal notes |
| Mon | 9/21 | Major plant groups and Ohio flora resources | Ch. 5 – Major Plant Groups & Local Flora: Bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms, diagnostic characteristics, ecological roles, and recognition of major Ohio plant groups. | Quiz 4 – Major plant groups and diagnostic traits |
| Mon | 9/28 | Dichotomous key and regional flora exercises | Ch. 6 – Dichotomous Keys, Field Guides & Identification Tools: Use of keys, regional floras, field guides, digital biodiversity resources, and identification of unknown specimens. | Key 3 unknown specimens and document identification pathway; Quiz 5 |
| Mon | 10/5 | Selected Ohio plant-family identification materials | Ch. 7 – Plant Families & Habitat Adaptations: Major Ohio plant families and adaptations associated with forests, wetlands, riparian areas, grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed habitats. | Quiz 6 – Plant families and habitat recognition |
| Mon | 10/12 | Ohio invasive plant resources | Ch. 8 – Native, Non-native & Invasive Plants of Ohio: Introduction pathways, establishment, spread, ecological impacts, invasive-plant identification, occurrence mapping, and biodiversity databases. Launch Ohio Invasive Plant Documentation Project. | Project Phase I: Target invasive species selection and preliminary identification profile |
| Mon | 10/19 | Review materials – Weeks 1–8 | Midterm Exam: Classification, morphology, terminology, plant groups, families, identification, dichotomous keys, and introductory invasion concepts. | Midterm Exam – 50 points |
| Mon | 10/26 | Herbarium collection guidelines | Ch. 9 – Herbarium Science I: Botanical Collection: Herbarium purpose, ethical collecting, field numbers, locality and habitat data, associated species, GPS/location information, and field photography. | Quiz 7 – Herbarium science and botanical collection |
| Mon | 11/2 | Herbarium specimen preparation and labeling guidelines | Ch. 9 – Herbarium Science II: Specimen Preparation & Documentation: Pressing, drying, mounting, labeling, identification verification, databasing, and preparation of voucher specimens. | Herbarium Assignment – Specimen(s), professional label, and field record |
| Mon | 11/9 | Botanical survey and ecological field-data protocols | Ch. 10 – Ecological Field Data & Invasive Plant Assessment: Botanical survey design, species lists, presence/absence, frequency, abundance, habitat data, and basic diversity concepts. | Project Phase III: Standardized occurrence and ecological data submission |
| Mon | 11/16 | Class dataset and data-analysis materials | Ch. 11 – Analyzing & Interpreting Botanical Data: Class invasive-plant dataset, species richness, frequency, abundance, habitat associations, introductory diversity analysis, visualization, and interpretation. | Data Exercise – Figures/tables and short ecological interpretation |
| Mon | 11/23 | Selected invasive-plant management resources | Ch. 12 – Integration: Ohio Invasive Flora: Integration of morphology, taxonomy, herbarium records, distribution, habitat, and ecological data; management and conservation implications. | Final Project Report – Ohio Invasive Plant Documentation / Species Case Study |
| Mon | 11/30 | Final exam study guide/review materials | Ch. 13 – Course Review & Final Examination: Synthesis and practical application of morphology, taxonomy, plant families, identification, herbarium science, and ecological interpretation. | Final Exam – 150 points; Study Guide |
| Mon | 12/7 | No assigned reading | Student Research Presentations & Course Synthesis: Presentations from invasive-plant documentation projects; synthesis of class findings and applications to invasive-species research and management. | Final Presentation – 100 points |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.