Explore UCD

UCD Home >

BOTN30050

Academic Year 2024/2025

Diversity of Plant Form & Function (BOTN30050)

Subject:
Botany
College:
Science
School:
Biology & Environment Science
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Tamara Hochstrasser
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The Earth's vegetation is replete with a diversity of plant forms from 40 meter high trees to aquatics to parasites and climbers. Different plant forms are adapted for different functions. This course aims to provide students with the basic tools necessary to understand, describe and appreciate a diversity of plant form and think critically about the likely functional role of different plant structures. There will be an emphasis on the Irish Flora. Students will be introduced to the morphology of the vegetative and reproductive structures of a range of different evolutionary lineages of land plants from the most ancient (bryophytes/mosses) to the most derived (angiosperms/flowering plants). Special emphasis will be placed on the identification of species belonging to various groups using taxonomic keys.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Learning Outcomes:
(1) Students will become familiar with basic botanical nomenclature needed to describe plant morphology and use taxonomic keys;
(2) Students should be capable of identifying various plant species in the Irish flora using taxonomic keys in standard works of reference;
(3) Students will gain an overview of the morphological differences and similarities among a range of land plants including bryophytes, ferns and fern-allies, and seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms).

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

15
Practical

21
Specified Learning Activities

33
Autonomous Student Learning

56
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module consists of a series of labs that give the student practical experience in identifying plants. The lecture content covers current scientific insight into the evolutionary history of plants, and discusses their ecology and lifecycles.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Individual Project: Herbarium project Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
15
 No
Exam (Open Book): Practical exam requiring identification of plants Week 14 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
45
 No
Exam (Open Book): Practical exam requiring identification of plants Week 7 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Grading rubric used for exams.

Name Role
Ms Martina Caplice Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Grace Cott Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Joanne Denyer Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Gwyneth MacMaster Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 32, 33 Fri 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 30 Fri 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Practical Offering 1 Week(s) - 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 30 Fri 14:00 - 16:50
Spring Practical Offering 1 Week(s) - 31 Fri 14:00 - 16:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 22 Thurs 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 29, 32 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.