In this course, species identification is the starting point for understanding the biology of woody plant species and ecological communities. The identification portion is taught in the field and with specimens in the lab. We’ll visit beech-sugar maple forests, oak-hickory forests, river floodplain forests, a second-growth forest on an old lake plain, swamps and bogs, roadsides, and highly disturbed sites. You’ll become familiar with several forest types and natural communities in SE Michigan.

The lectures start with the nuts and bolts of identification and transition to broader topics related to our species, including pollination and dispersal, community and ecosystem ecology, evolution, ethnobotany and climate change. We'll end the semester with student presentations.