Course Description
The internet has revolutionized our lives and reshaped the delivery of information content. The online mobilization of species diversity and distributional information has similarly transformed our access to nature, for recreation and research.
In this course offering, we will explore plant diversity in the digital era using a range of approaches. First, we discuss and engage with tools fueling this transformation, and the ways in which they are being applied to cutting edge research questions. Second, we will explore the diversity and morphology of major plant clades of the Great Lakes region, including iconic species and prominent taxa. Here, you will contribute to the growing body of mobilized online observational data of plant diversity through self-led field trips using citizen science platforms like iNaturalist. Third, and finally, we will explore the variety of ways in which these resources are helping us to understand the current biodiversity crisis and the geological era of the Anthropocene. The skills you will develop include an introduction to basic plant morphology, plant identification, and the use of open access resources to better understand and contribute to our knowledge of plant diversity.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Biology 171 (172 or 174) and 173, or Biology 195 and 173; or permission of instructor.
Requirements: BS, NS, PitE and EEB Field Experience, Lab
Meets: Wednesdays 1-4pm EST
Instructors: Charles Davis and Susan Fawcett
