Welcome to Plant Biology (Biol 3601)

Data Repository

Text: Biology of Plants, seventh edition; Raven, Evert and Eichhorn. Lab handouts will be provided weekly.

Purpose: To provide an introduction to the evolutionary diversification of plants including the genetics of speciation, a survey of the plant phylogenetic tree, adaptive innovation in angiosperms, the distribution of plant biodiversity, and an overview of the major biomes of earth.

Attendance: Lecture attendance is expected. At least 20% of the lecture material will not come from the book. You will be required to attend lectures to acquire this information. Supplementary material will feature prominently in the exams. We will also have short discussions during the lecture period. Participation in discussions during lecture periods and will be taken into consideration as a component of your final grade. Lab attendance is mandatory, will be recorded, and will constitute a significant fraction of your lab grade. You must notify me in advance if you will not be able to attend a lab session.

Exams: Exams will cover required readings from the text, lecture material, and discussions. Exams will combine multiple choice (10 questions; 30 points), short answer (10 questions; 50 points), and essay (2 questions; 20 points). The final is comprehensive and will have a similar format as the lecture exams. Unexcused absences from exams will result in a grade of zero. Sample exam questions are available on the course web page.

Labs: Lab activities will vary and will include self-directed learning in the lab, group research projects, outdoor plant identification, and discussions.

Access for Students With Disabilities: Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the quarter. Methods, materials or testing may be modified to provide for equitable participation.

Promotion of Bias-free Instruction: The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all of its students shall have equal educational opportunities. The University expressly forbids discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability, veteran's status, ethnicity, religion, creed, national origin or marital status. If you believe that your Biology instructor has not followed this policy, you are invited to bring this to the attention of the Biology Department Head (211 Life Science; 726-7263) or the Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering (140 Engineering; 26-7585). Your conference will be kept confidential.