CONTENTS M - 1. Overview of the module ..................................................................................................................... 1 M - 2. Learning objectives ........................................................................................................................... 3 M - 3. Module content................................................................................................................................ 3 M - 4. Learning within the module ................................................................................................................. 4 M - 5. Semester programme ........................................................................................................................ 4 K - 1. Course 1: Vegetation analysis .............................................................................................................. 5 K - 1.1

Formal description

5

K - 1.2

Course objectives / Learning outcomes

5

K - 1.3

course contents

6

K - 1.4

Learning within the course

6

K - 1.5

Set books, recommended and further reading

8

K - 1.6

Assessment

10

K - 2. Course 2: Plant systematics .............................................................................................................. 12 K - 2.1

Formal description

12

K - 2.2

course objectives / Learning outcomes

12

K - 2.3

course contents

12

K - 2.4

Learning within the c ourse

14

K - 2.5

Set books, recommended and further reading

14

K - 2.6

Assessem ent

15

M - 1.

OVERVIEW OF THE MODULE

M - 1.1

FORMAL DESCRIPTION

Code

n.BA.UI.VAAPS

Module

Vegetation analysis and plant systematics

Status

Elective module

ECTS-Credits

4 (2 for Vegetation analysis and 2 for Plant systematics)

Semester

4

M - 1.2

ABSTRACT

The module consists of two courses. In the vegetation analysis course, the principles and methods needed for dealing with floristic and vegetation-ecological questions in space and time are taught, starting from relevant questions and ending with interpretation of results from analyses. Ultimately, good knowledge of flora is needed to work on vegetation-ecological questions. It is therefore important to know and to be able to apply the relevant literature for determination of plant species, for which a fundamental knowledge of plant systematics is essential. It is much easier to determine unknown plant species if one knows the characteristics of important plant families and genera, so that a species can be assigned to a family or genus without the help of a key. This knowledge is the topic of the plant systematics course.

M - 1.3

GENERAL AIMS

The module imparts the knowledge necessary to solve vegetation-ecological questions professionally and independently. The aim is also to be able to correctly and quickly identify unknown, native plant species using traditional tools for plants systematics.

M - 1.4

ASSESSMENT

The module consists of two courses. Each course is separately assessed. The grade awarded in this module is based on the following two assignments: 

Vegetation analysis: a report on a project conducted in teams of 2-3 students (50% of the final mark).



Plant systematics: A written 1.5 h exam at the end of the course, also containing a 0.5 h practical plant-identification section (50% of the final mark).

1

M - 1.5

STUCTURE OF THE MODULE

The module runs for the whole semester. The vegetation analysis course mainly consists of lecture based contact lessons and a project which is carried out independently in teams of 2-3 students. The plant systematics course mainly consists of exercise based contact lessons, which need to be prepared as homework prior to the lessons. Both courses are accompanied by mandatory as well as voluntary field trips. Workload: The module consists of 4 lessons per week, all in one afternoon. Usually 2 lessons on vegetation analysis are directly followed by 2 lessons on plant systematics. However, exceptions may occur due to public holidays, field trips and project work. A detailed programme will be handed out at the start of the courses. The total workload, including essential self-study, is approximately 120 hours.

start of semester (week 8)

lecture & exercises:

end of semester (week 22)

(largely lectures) (largely exercises)

home work:

(reading & preparation for exercises)

(project work: independent work in teams)

assignment:

exam

vegetation analysis

M - 1.6

plant systematics

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Good knowledge of native plant species as well as an interest in plant systematics and vegetation ecology is a prerequisite for successful participation in the module. For the vegetation analysis course, it is important to have a basic knowledge of the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. It is also an advantage to have an overview of the most important plant associations in Switzerland. For the plant systematics course, basic knowledge of botany, plant morphology, anatomy and physiology is required. These prerequisites are taught in the following courses: “Angewandte Ökologie 1” and “Biologie 1+2”.

M - 1.7

MODULE EVALUATION

At the beginning of the semester the expectations, wishes and knowledge of the students are evaluated in an online survey. In the second part of the semester, the students have the opportunity to evaluate both courses separately. The anonymous results of the survey and the evaluations will be made available for the students on ‘Moodle’.

2

M - 2.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

See M 1.3 General aims and course descriptions.

M - 3.

MODULE CONTENT

M - 3.1

THEMATIC INTRODUCTION TO THE MODULE

Flora and vegetation of an ecosystem are generally much easier to assess than most other elements or processes. Vegetation-ecological and floristic data form the basis for the solution to most challenges in nature conservation, agriculture, forestry, landscape management and environmental impact assessment. The vegetation analysis course provides the principles and methods needed to work on vegetation-ecological topics in time and space; from asking the right questions, to correctly interpreting the often complex results of analyses. in order to analyse vegetation efficiently, a solid knowledge of plant species and the different tools for identifying them is needed, as well as the ability to use these tools efficiently and correctly. The plant systematics course forms the basis for this. To date, approximately 400‘000 living plant species are known worldwide und new ones are regularly discovered. To bring order into this diversity, plant species are categorised in taxa according to their relationships. Plant systematics is the science of ordering and describing species. To efficiently carry out a vegetation analysis or to add a newly discovered species to the system, knowledge of plant systematics is necessary. For further information, see the course descriptions.

M - 3.2

RELATIONSHIP TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Competences gained in this module can be directly transferred to nature conservation and management, because this is often synonymous with conservation and management of vegetation. Managing biodiversity is only possible if the key entities of biodiversity, the different species, can be recognised or determined. The ability to recognise species also forms the basis of our ethical responsibility towards nature and biodiversity. With the competences from this module, students will be able to assess and evaluate spatial and temporal changes in landscapes/nature. It particularly enables students to recognise undesirable or desirable developments in environments e.g. the slow destruction of raised bogs, which is undesirable for society and nature protection. The competences from the plant systematics course (species knowledge and the use of dichotomous identification keys) and the vegetation analysis course (analysis and evaluation) not only provide an understanding of vegetation management, but can also be transferred to species groups other than plants.

3

transformation

ethical background 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0

ecological dimension

time dimension

spatial dimension

M - 4.

social dimension

economic dimension

LEARNING WITHIN THE MODULE

M - 4.1

DIDACTIC PRINCIPLES

The module attaches great importance to practical hands-on experience in the fields of vegetation analysis and plant systematics. Reading (homework) or lecture content are, whenever possible, directly applied in exercises or project work. This learning setting allows efficient consolidation of the module content, but also requires active preparation and participation from the students.

M - 4.2

LEARNING ARRANGEMENTS

A broad spectrum of methods is applied in this module. Regular self-study tasks combined with learning checks on ‘Moodle’ allow students to effectively consolidate the module content and help them to keep track of the module content. Lectures act as stimulation and should broaden the students’ horizons. A large part of the module consists of practical exercises and project work.

M - 5.

SEMESTER PROGRAMME

A detailed semester programme will be handed out at the start of the module.

4

K - 1.

COURSE 1: VEGETATION ANALYSIS

K - 1.1

FORMAL DESCRIPTION

Course code

n.BA.UI.VAAPS

Course coordinator

Prof. Dr. Bertil O. Krüsi

Lecturers

Dr. Bertil O. Krüsi, Dr. Eva Frei, Manuel Babbi

Latest update

February 2016

K - 1.2

COURSE OBJECTIVES / LEARNING OUTCOMES

After the course the students will be aware of the basics and methods needed to independently analyse and work on vegetation-ecological questions in space and time. They will, in particular, be able to independently carry out all necessary steps for conducting vegetation-ecological research (appropriate questions, sampling design, sampling, analysis, interpretation and plausibility check). At the end of the course the students will be able to deal with the complexity and diversity of vegetation systems. They will be able to assess the many potential issues and apply methodology based approaches to deal with them. The main goal of the course is to foster the analytical skills needed to deal with complex ecological question as well as the methodological competences to choose the most relevant and appropriate methods and parameters needed to answer the questions. Professional and methodological competences Participants in this course will be able… 

to identify the appropriate parameters needed to answer concrete vegetation-ecological questions



to choose the parameters that can be measured and analysed within an acceptable amount of time for an acceptable effort



to plan the collection of data or the experiment in such a way that it can be statistically analysed



to correctly use the most common methods for collection and analysis of vegetation-data e.g.



o

traditional vegetation analysis using Braun-Blanquet

o

alternative ways of sampling the vegetation (distance sampling, plotless sampling)

o

recording and analysing vegetation-data with VEGEDAZ

o

calculation of unweighted and weighted indicator values

o

calculation of floristic similarity (Jaccard, van der Maarel) using VEGEDAZ

to correctly interpret, sometimes, complex results from methods such as multivariate analysis

5

Social and personal skills Social and personal skills are fostered in practical training (indoor and in the field) as well as in the assignment, which is carried out in small groups of students.

K - 1.3

COURSE CONTENTS

K - 1.3.1.

Thematic introduction to the course

It is usually much easier and more reliable to study flora and vegetation than most other elements and processes of an ecosystem. Vegetation-ecological and floristic data form the basis of solutions to complex questions in nature conservation and restoration, agriculture and forestry. They also help to assess the impact of major construction sites on the environment. In the vegetation analysis course you will learn about scientific fundamentals as well as the methods needed to deal with vegetation-ecological questions and problems in space and time; from asking the right questions, to interpretation of often complex results.

K - 1.3.2.

Key content

The main goal of the course is to familiarise students with the basics and principles needed to carry out a typical vegetation-ecological project: 

asking the right questions



choosing the appropriate sampling design



carrying out the actual sampling (vegetation survey according to Braun-Blanquet; plotless-Sampling etc. )



analysing the data (ecological indicator values, multivariate analysis, floristic similarity according to Jaccard or van der Maarel; Software VEGEDAZ)



correctly interpreting the results and checking for their plausibility.

K - 1.4

LEARNING WITHIN THE COURSE

K - 1.4.1.

Learning arrangements

The course consists of lectures and practical exercises/training in the field and indoors. The practical exercises, which are tackled in small working groups, help students to understand and use the knowledge taught in the course. In addition, e-learning exercises and self-study tasks help them to understand and gain a deeper knowledge of the topics taught. In total the course consists of 60 hours:

6



16 hours of lectures



6 hours self-study (reading) in preparation for exercises



4 hours of practical indoor exercises



4-8 hours of field training



24-30 hours of project work

Exercises The exercises, for which the students organise themselves into small groups, offer opportunities for problembased learning and strengthen social and personal skills.. The field training and practical indoor exercises offer the opportunity to apply and use the knowledge necessary to solve vegetation-ecological questions. In the practical work, the students independently apply all of the steps necessary to solve such a question.

K - 1.4.2.

Course material

Detailed course documentation is available in print or as an electronic version on the Moodle eLearning-platform. It consists of: 

a detailed course guide with central questions, terms and definitions



all lectures as power-point presentations



a detailed, commented literature list



a glossary containing all the important technical terms



a detailed script



documentation of all exercises and field training



sample solutions for exercises/field training



best practice examples of project work



old exams and solutions for practice

7

K - 1.5

SET BOOKS, RECOMMENDED AND FURTHER READING

Set books There is no compulsory reading beyond the lecture script. For additional information Tremp (2005), which is very compact and has a similar structure to the lecture, is recommended: Tremp H., 2005: Aufnahme und Analyse vegetationsökologischer Daten. Ulmer, Stuttgart. 141 S. The most important literature is cited in the script and in the following list. In bold are books which are particularly suitable for beginners. There is also a commented literature list sorted according to topics available on Moodle. Methods in Vegetation-ecology Krebs C.J., 1999: Ecological Methodology. 2nd ed. Addison Wesley Longman, Menlo Park, California, USA. 620 pp. Mueller-Dombois D. and Ellenberg H., 1974: Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology. John Wiley and Sons, New York, Chichester, Brisbane, Toronto. 547pp. Gigon A., Marti R., Scheiwiller T., 2004: Kurzpraktikum Terrestrische Ökologie. 2. Aufl. vdf Hochschulverlag, ETH, Zürich. 157 S. Henderson P.A., 2003: Practical methods in Ecology. Blackwell. 176 pp. Leps J., Smilauer P., 2003: Multivariate analysis of ecological data using Canoco. Cambridge University Press. 282 pp. Leyer I., Wesche K., 2008: Multivariate Statistik in der Ökologie. Springer, Berlin. 221 S. Magurran A.E., 2003: Measuring Biodiversity. Blackwell. 260 S. Tremp H., 2005: Aufnahme und Analyse vegetationsökologischer Daten. Ulmer, Stuttgart, 141 S. Wildi O. 2010: Data Analysis in Vegetation Ecology. Wiley-Blackwell. 224 pp. Textbooks on Geobotany Braun-Blanquet J., 1964: Pflanzensoziologie. Grundlagen der Vegetationskunde. 3. Aufl. Springer-Verlag, Wien, New York. 865 pp. Dierschke, H., 1994: Pflanzensoziologie. Grundlagen und Methoden. Ulmer, Stuttgart. 688 S. Fischer A., 2003: Forstliche Vegetationskunde. Eine Einführung in die Geobotanik. 3. Aufl. Ulmer, Stuttgart. 421 S. Frey W., Lösch R., 2010: Lehrbuch der Geobotanik: Pflanze und Vegetation in Raum und Zeit. 3. Aufl. Elsevier Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg. 528 S. Vegetation of Switzerland Delarze R., Gonseth Y., 2008: Lebensräume der Schweiz. Ökologie, Gefährdung, Kennarten. 2. Aufl. Ott-hep-Verlag, Bern. 424 S. Käsermann C., 2007: Pflanzenwelt der Jungfrauregion. Ott-hep-Verlag, Bern. 315 S. Keller W. et al. 1998: Waldgesellschaften der Schweiz auf floristischer Grundlage. Mitt. Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft, 73(2), 93-357. Landolt E., 2003: Alpenflora. 7. Aufl. SAC-Verlag, Bern. 341 S. Osterwalder K., Klingenböck A., Baltisberger M., Kretzschmar R., 2006: Virtuelle Exkursionen. Vdf, Zürich. DVDRom. Schmid W., Bolzern H., Guyer C., 2007: Mähwiesen: Ökologie und Bewirtschaftung. Flora, Fauna und Bewirtschaftung am Beispiel von elf Luzerner Mähwiesen. Lehrmittelverlag Kt. Luzern, Littau. 206 S. Steiger P., 2010: Wälder der Schweiz. Von Lindengrün zu Lärchengold. Vielfalt der Waldbilder und Waldgesellschaften der Schweiz. 4. Aufl. Ott-hep-Verlag, Bern. 462 S. Weber E., 2009: Pflanzenleben der Schweiz. Swiss Plant Life. Haupt, Bern. 208 S.

8

Vegetation of Europe and the Alps Ellenberg H., 1996: Vegetation Mitteleuropas mit den Alpen: in ökologischer, dynamischer und historischer Sicht. 5. Aufl. Ulmer, Stuttgart. 1095 S. Klötzli F, Dietl W., Marti K., Schubiger C., Walther J.-R., 2010: Vegetation Europas. Das Offenland im vegetationskundlich-ökologischen Überblick. Ott-hep-Verlag, Bern. 1019 S. Körner C., 2003. Alpine Plant Life - Functional Ecology of High Mountain Ecosystems. 2nd ed. Springer, Berlin. 344 S. Schubert R., Hilbig W., Klotz S., 2010: Bestimmungsbuch der Pflanzengesellschaften Deutschlands. Nachdruck der 1. Aufl. von 2001. Spektrum, Heidelberg. 472 S. Wilmanns O., 1998: Ökologische Pflanzensoziologie. Eine Einführung in die Vegetation Mitteleuropas. 6. Aufl. Quelle & Meyer, Wiesbaden. 405 S. (Volltext digital verfügbar unter: http://www.freidok.unifreiburg.de/volltexte/3750/, gedruckte Ausgabe erhältlich bei: www.proprint-service-de) Vegetation of the earth Pott R., 2005: Allgemeine Geobotanik. Biogeosysteme und Biodiversität. Springer, Berlin. 652 S. Schultz J., 2008: Die Ökozonen der Erde. 4. Aufl. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart. 372 S. Walter H., Breckle S.-W., 1999: Vegetation und Klimazonen. Grundriss der globalen Oekologie. 7. Aufl.. UTB, Stuttgart. 544 S. Walter H., Breckle S.-W., 1991-2004. Ökologie der Erde. Bd. 1: Grundlagen, Bd. 2: Spezielle Ökologie der Tropen und Subtropen, Bd. 3: Spezielle Ökologie der Gemäßigten und Arktischen Zonen Euro-Nordasiens, Bd. 4: Gemäßigte und Arktische Zonen außerhalb Euro-Nordasiens. Spektrum, Heidelberg. Identification keys Dietl W., Lehmann J., Jorquera M., 1998: Wiesengräser. Landwirt. Lehrmittelzentrale, CH-3052 Zollikofen. 191 S. Dietl W. & Jorquera M., 2007: Wiesen- und Alpenpflanzen. Erkennen an den Blättern, Freuen an den Blüten, 3. Aufl. Österreichischer Agrarverlag, Wien. 655 S. Eggenberg S., Möhl A., 2009: Flora Vegetativa. Ein Bestimmungsbuch für Pflanzen der Schweiz im blütenlosen Zustand. 2. Aufl. Haupt, Bern, 680 S. Hess H. E., Landolt E., Hirzel R., 1976-80: Flora der Schweiz und angrenzender Gebiete. 2. Aufl. 3 Bde. Birkhäuser, Basel. 2690 S. Krüsi B.O., 2010: Schlüssel zum Bestimmen von Gräsern und Grasartigen im nicht-blühenden Zustand. Skript, Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften ZHAW, Institut für Umwelt und Natürliche Ressourcen IUNR, CH-8820 Wädenswil, 38 pp. Landolt E., 2003: Unsere Alpenflora. 7. Aufl. SAC-Verlag, Bern. 341 S. Lauber K., Wagner G., 2005: Flora Helvetica ein interaktiver Führer durch die Flora der Schweiz. 1 CD-ROM, Ausgabe 2.1. Haupt, Bern. Lauber K., Wagner G., 2009: Flora Helvetica. Korrigierter Nachdruck der 4. Aufl. von 2007. Haupt, Bern. 1632 + 280 S. Lautenschlager E.,1989: Die Weiden der Schweiz. Birkhäuser, Basel. 136 S. Wartmann B.A., 2008: Die Orchideen der Schweiz. 2. Aufl. Haupt, Bern, 244 S.

9

Indicator values Ellenberg H. et al., 2003: Zeigerwerte von Pflanzen in Mitteleuropa. CD-Rom. Goltze, Göttingen. Landolt E., 1977: Ökologische Zeigerwerte zur Schweizer Flora. Veröff. Geobot. Inst. ETH, Stiftung Rübel, 64. Heft, 208 S. Landolt E. et al., 2010: Flora indicativa. Haupt, Bern. 768 S. Varia Joss S., 2008: Blütenwanderungen in der Schweiz. AT-Verlag. 160 S. Important sources on the web: 

Bundesamt für Umwelt BAFU (z.B. Natur- und Landschaftsschutz, Lebensräume, Biodiversität, Inventare, Rote Listen, Klima, Forschung): www.bafu.umwelt.ch



Bundesamt für Umwelt BAFU: WebGIS zur Abfrage von Umweltdaten: www.ecogis.admin.ch



Amt für Natur und Landschaft Kanton Zürich, Fachstelle Naturschutz (diverse kantonsspezifische Infos und Downloads): www.naturschutz.zh.ch



Kanton Zürich: WebGIS zur Abfrage von kantonalen Umweltdaten etc.: www.gis.zh.ch



Forum Biodiversität Schweiz (inkl. Biodiversitätsmonitoring BDM): www.biodiversity.ch



Nationales Zentrum für die Kartierung der Schweizer Flora: www.zdsf.ch



Swiss Web Flora: www.wsl.ch/land/products/webflora/welcome-de.ehtml

K - 1.6

ASSESSMENT

K - 1.6.1.

Goal

General oral or written feedback is provided for all exercises, but no grades are awarded. Solutions will be available on Moodle for complex exercises. As part of their project work students demonstrate their ability to independently and correctly carry out all the necessary steps to solve a vegetation-ecological problem. Central to this work is that the students improve their analytical skills, especially when considering how to solve complex questions and choose relevant methods and parameters to answer questions.

K - 1.6.2.

Record of achievement

Training in the field Feedback will be provided for the compulsory and the voluntary field training. Indoor exercises Feedback will be provided for both indoor-exercises. Written project work Students complete a project and written report in a small team, which will be assessed in detail. The grade given will account for 50% of the final module grade.

10

K - 1.6.3.

General conditions

All documentation and resources (script, books etc.) may be used for all exercises and project work. Sample solutions to exercises, old exams and best practice examples of practical works are available on the Moodle elearning platform. See the ZHAW’s current examination regulations.

11

K - 2.

COURSE 2: PLANT SYSTEMATICS

K - 2.1

FORMAL DESCRIPTION

Course code

n.BA.UI.VAAPS

Course coordinator

Dr. Eva Frei

Lecturers

Daniel Hepenstrick, Dr. Eva Frei, Dr. Regula Billeter, Manuel Babbi, Dr. Bertil O. Krüsi, Christine Bühler-Traub, Beat Wartmann (1 DL)

Latest update

K - 2.2

February 2016

COURSE OBJECTIVES / LEARNING OUTCOMES

Participants on this course… 

will be able to classify all Swiss plants from a total biodiversity of 3000 species with the help of a solid knowledge of approximately 20 plant families and skills in plant identification using dichotomous identification keys.

K - 2.3

COURSE CONTENTS

K - 2.3.1. Thematic introduction to the course In large species groups, such as flowering plants, plant systematics provide tools crucial for identifying and managing the diversity in species. From our point of view, plant systematics consists of the application and fusion of two tools: (i) theoretical knowledge of the evolutionary network behind flowering plants, which allows us to swiftly assign an unknown species to a plant family, simply by recognising a set of morphological characteristics. (ii) the ability to apply relevant identification literature to confidently identify a species. Practice and hands-on experience are key factors in someone’s ability to productively apply plant systematics tools. The basic concepts and tools of systematic biology learnt in this course can be transferred to any other species group (animals etc.). The content taught is mostly a subset of that examined for the certificates of the Swiss botanical society. An additional, voluntary exam for a basic botany certificate (knowledge of 200 species and their families) is offered at the end of the course.

12

K - 2.3.2.

Key content

Professional and methodological competences Participants of this course will be able to… 

recognise, describe, name and interpret the vegetative and generative morphological characters of flowering plants.



apply the concepts and tools of systematic biology to flowering plants. This includes the description of phylogenetic trees, interpretation of taxonomic ranks, application of important higher taxonomic units (Dicots, Monocots, certain orders etc.) as well as the interpretation of morphological traits from an evolutionary and ecological point of view.



recognise and describe 26 important plant families by their individual combination of standard morphological characteristics.



list four example species for each plant family they know. This also includes identifying the diagnostic morphological characteristics at the genus and species level.



identify any Swiss flowering plant species using a dichotomous identification key.



argue for or against the membership of any given plant to any species, genus and family they know by pointing out relevant morphological characters of the given plant.



actively choose between different identification tools (floras, identification keys, mobile device applications, internet sources, etc.) depending on the identification task they are confronted with (species identification, conformation of identifications, identification of non-flowering specimens, identification of difficult species groups, etc.)

Social skills Participants on this course will be able to… 

decide constructively on their own or in teams during self-study and practical exercises how to optimise their learning outcome.



actively and constructively ask for advice of their colleagues and the teaching staff during their practical exercises.

Personal skills Participants of this course will be able to… 

operate in a bilingual (English & German) learning environment.



actively acquire knowledge by reading their course book and consolidate this knowledge during their exercises in order to transform it into practical skills.



optimise their learning strategies in the field of systematic biology.

K - 2.3.3.

Relationship to sustainable development

See module description. The first step towards protection of biodiversity is to recognise and identify species: “only things that are known can be protected”. Therefore, the main goal of the plant systematics course is to enable its participants to identify plant species. On an emotional level, the practical exercises and field trips are also designed to reinforce positive feelings towards plant biodiversity.

13

K - 2.4

LEARNING WITHIN THE COURSE

K - 2.4.1.

Learning arrangements

Students are required to prepare for their lessons by reading the course book and evaluating themselves on moodle. The contact lessons may start with approximately 20 minutes of lecture, followed by about 1.5h of practical exercises. Special programme items include short field trips, guests and longer identification sessions towards the end of the semester.

K - 2.4.2.

Course materials

The following two items are required and can be purchased from the lecturer: 

Course book: Baltisberger M., Nyffeler R. & Widmer A.W. (2013) Systematische Botanik: Einheimische Farn- und Samenpflanzen, 4. vollständig überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, vdf Hochschulverlag AG, Zürich.



Hand lens with 10x magnification.

Furthermore, participants are encouraged to purchase a dichotomous identification key: 

Binz A. & Heitz C. (1990) Schul- und Exkursionsflora für die Schweiz. 19., vollständig überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage. Schwabe Verlag, Basel.

Handouts, further literature, identification keys for use in the lessons, practice sheets, and plant and dissection material will be provided. For non-German speaking students, individual solutions for obtaining a course book and identification key can be discussed with the lecturer. The official language for the course is English. However, experience has shown that just using English as medium of instruction for plant systematics is problematic (too many technical terms). Therefore, a mixed approach is employed: 

Lectures in German or English (depending on incoming students)



Practical training in German (special assistance for non-German speaking students)



Course books in German (individual solution for non-German speaking students)



We suggest learning morphological terms exclusively in German



Exam: written in German (non-German speaking students: oral in English)

K - 2.5

SET BOOKS, RECOMMENDED AND FURTHER READING

Swiss Flora Lauber K., Wagner G. & Gygax A. (2012) Flora Helvetica. 5., vollständig überarbeitete Auflage. Haupt Verlag, Bern, Stuttgart, Wien. Eggenberg S. & Möhl A. (2007) Flora Vegetativa. Ein Bestimmungsbuch für Pflanzen der Schweiz im blütenlosen Zustand. Haupt Verlag, Bern, Stuttgart, Wien. Identification keys Hess H.E., Landolt E., Hirzel R. & Baltisberger M. (2010) Bestimmungsschlüssel zur Flora der Schweiz und angrenzender Gebiete. 6., aktualisierte und überarbeitete Auflage. Springer Verlag, Basel. Rothmaler W. (2011) Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Gefässpflanzen: Grundband. 20., neu bearbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, herausgegeben von Jäger E.J. & al. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg.

14

Schmeil O. & Fitschen J. (2011) Die Flora Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Länder. 95. Auflage, vollständig überarbeitet und erweitert von Seybold S. Verlag Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim. Swiss Delarze R. & Gonseth Y. (2008) Lebensräume der Schweiz. Ökologie – Gefährdung – Kennarten. Ott Verlag, Bern. English literature Simpson M.G. (2010) Plant systematics. 2. Auflage. Academic Press, Burlington, San Diego, Oxford. Stace C.A. (1991) New flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Homepages www.infoflora.ch

National information centre for the Swiss flora

www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb

Angiosperm phylogeny website

www.pflanzenbestimmung.de

Forum for plant identification

www.botanica-helvetica.ch

Swiss botanical society

www.zbg.ch

Zurich botanical society

K - 2.6

ASSESSEMENT

K - 2.6.1.

Goal

The written examination consists of a 0.5 h practical part in which the use of a dichotomous key will be assessed followed by a 1 h theoretical part which covers further professional and methodological skills (see Key content).

K - 2.6.2.

Record of achievement

The two parts of the written examination are weighted as follows Record of achievement

Assessment

Weight for the final course mark

Participation in > 80% of the module

-

must be fulfilled

Practical part (0.5 h)

mark

Ca. 30 %

Theoretical part (1 h)

mark

Ca. 70 %

K - 2.6.3.

General conditions

See the ZHAW’s current examination regulations.

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