Textbooks

Required Text: Woody Plants In North America, Kendall-Hunt Publishing, Multimedia Computer Software

Other Texts: A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs by G. Petrides (the Peterson Field Guide Series) Houghton Mifflin Co.

It is also recommend you carry with you a hand lens (10x) and a small pocket knife.

Also available are printable tree fact sheets that can be printed out beforehand and carried to the field. We strongly encourage the use of these fact sheets.

The free vTree tree identification app is available for Android or iPhone.

Instructor

Dr. John Seiler

jseiler@vt.edu

(540) 231-5461

Dr. John Seiler is the instructor in charge of the course. His office is in Room 230J Cheatham. Teaching assistants will also be assigned to the various course sections. Any questions you may have regarding course content or grades should be directed to Dr. Seiler. The lab assistants' office hours will be announced in lab by the second week of the semester. We all try to keep an open door, so please feel free to stop by at any time.

Goals and Objectives

Educational Goals:

1. To expose students to morphological, ecological and phenological traits used in field identification of woody plants.
2. To stimulate curiosity about woody plant vegetation in North America and to gain an appreciation of its uses by wildlife and people.
3. To introduce some basic characteristics of forest ecosystems.

Specific Objectives:

1. Students should know and be able to list characteristics useful in distinguishing woody plant families and genera.
2. Students should know the scientific and common names of each plant studied in laboratory.
3. Students should be able to identify and name each plant covered in laboratory, either by fruit, cone, leaf, twig, bark, habit, or any combination of these or other characteristics.
4. Students should be familiar with the basic ecology and range of each species covered in the lab through reading materials in the texts.

Grading

So that you can earn partial credit on wrong answers, the point distribution for grading each quiz specimen is as follows:

Family: 1 point
Species: 1 point
Genus: 1 point
Common Name: 3 points

*One-half point will be deducted for each misspelling of any part of the Latin name.

The final numerical grade in the course will be based on the average of all quizzes. The final course average will be calculated as points earned/total points possible.

You will also have the opportunity to earn bonus points. During some labs, certain tree quizzes will be designated as bonus trees. Correctly identifying these trees by common name only will earn 1 point per tree. These bonus points will be added only to the points earned portion of your grade. Missing a bonus tree will not lower your grade.

If you miss a quiz, the grade will be recorded as a zero (0) unless an acceptable medical excuse is provided or a family emergency occurs. The instructor may schedule a make-up quiz if and when appropriate. If you are sick or need to travel home, contact Dr. Seiler as soon as possible.

Final Course Grade:

If your final numerical grade is:	Your final course grade is:
93 or above	A
90-92	A-
87-89	B+
83-86	B
80-82	B-
77-79	C+
73-76	C
70-72	C-
67-69	D+
63-66	D
60-62	D-
59 or below	F

Honor Code:
The use of any electronic device is prohibited during class. The only material that should be in use during lab time is the week's current fact sheets. All other material must be put away. We (classmates and instructors) ask that you do your own work, keep your eyes on your quiz sheet, and keep your papers well covered during quiz time.

The Undergraduate Honor Code pledge that each member of the university community agrees to abide by states: "As a Hokie, I will conduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I accept the actions of those who do."

Students enrolled in this course are responsible for abiding by the Honor Code. A student who has doubts about how the Honor Code applies to any assignment is responsible for obtaining specific guidance from the course instructor before submitting the assignment for evaluation. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of the university community from the requirements and expectations of the Honor Code.

For additional information about the Honor Code, please visit: https://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/

Safety Awareness

All laboratories are conducted outdoors in whole or in part, regardless of weather conditions. Appropriate protective clothing should be worn when inclement weather is anticipated. Boots are recommended for off-campus trips. Because of the obvious health risks associated with exposure to inclement weather, the instructors reserve the right to dismiss any student who is not properly dressed from any lab period.

Being outdoors carries some additional risk. Always be aware of your surroundings. Pay special attention while crossing roads or examining trees near roads. Use your knife responsibly. Bees, wasps and yellow jackets, although not common, may be encountered during a lab. Poison ivy will be present so know what the species looks like. You may wish to inform your instructor and TA of any allergies or other medical conditions you may have. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep the class safe, so stay alert and point out any hazards.

Wellness Principles:
By participating in this class, all students agree to abide by the Virginia Tech Wellness principles. If you are exhibiting even very slight signs of illness, you must not attend class in person. Notify me by email and follow the instructions posted at https://vt.edu/ready/health.html#tips.

Loose Ends

Principles of Community:

• We affirm the inherent dignity and value of every person and strive to maintain a climate for work and learning based on mutual respect and understanding.
• We affirm the right of each person to express thoughts and opinions freely. We encourage open expression within a climate of civility, sensitivity, and mutual respect.
• We affirm the value of human diversity because it enriches our lives and the University. We acknowledge and respect our differences while affirming our common humanity.
• We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. We take individual and collective responsibility for helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and for increasing our own understanding of these issues through education, training, and interaction with others.

Other Help:
The Dendrology Lab, Room 218 Cheatham Hall, will be set up with specimen examples (twigs, leaves, fruit, etc.) for each week's laboratory. This is for your use on your own time. In addition, we will be having occasional outdoor review sessions. These will be announced in class and by e-mail. Pay attention to and take advantage of these opportunities. You are paying a large sum of money for this course, so make the most of it.

Transportation:
Many of the labs are off campus. You are responsible for getting to these locations on time. The locations are nearby (e.g., Pandapas Pond) and the class web page has maps to all locations. We encourage you to carpool. If you do not have a car and need help arranging a ride, let us know well in advance. Please plan ahead (e.g., be sure you have gas) and be sure you know where you are going.

Assistance Available

If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services, or other accommodations to participate in this class, please contact John Seiler, 230J Cheatham, at 231-5461 during business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to discuss accommodations.