Plant Families of the Tropics
|Teacher(s):||Dr. T. van Andel, Dr. M. Roos|
- No Optional course
- No Contractonderwijs
- Yes Exchange
- Yes Study Abroad
- No Evening course
- No A la Carte
- No Honours Class
BSc-courses Biodiversity 1, 2 & 3 and Training flora are advantageous
Coordinators: Dr. D.C. Thomas, Dr. M.C. Roos
Email: Daniel.Thomas@naturalis.nl, Marco.Roos@naturalis.nl
The tropics comprise the hottest hotspots of global biodiversity. They contain more than two thirds of vascular plant species worldwide with a density 10 times higher than the European flora. Many well-known and economically important plant taxa such as bananas, cocoa, coffee, and yam are of tropical origin.
The identification of tropical plants is a crucial aspect in conservation biology, and ecological, evolutionary and ethnobotanical research. Because of the high species diversity, the poor exploration of many tropical regions, and the unavailability of regional floras and identification tools, however, identification is often problematic.
The botanical diversity of the tropics is being explored and documented by the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in international projects such as Flora Malesiana, Flora of the Guianas and the Flore du Gabon, involving numerous experts with an in-depth knowledge of the plants and habitats of the tropics. One of the aims of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center is the knowledge transfer of plant diversity. This course has been set up to provide an overview of the most commonly encountered tropical plant families, and the knowledge and tools needed for their identification.
Specialists working at Naturalis and botanical gardens in Amsterdam, Leiden and Utrecht will give the participants an overview of the most commonly encountered tropical plant families, including their key features, characteristic genera, and ecological and economic importance. General introductions to plant morphology, identification tools, plant collection techniques, tropical vegetation types and ethnobotanical research will be given.
Through lectures, extensive hands-on practicals and excursions to various botanical institutions in the Netherlands, the participants will learn to recognize more than 40 tropical plant families based on generative (flower and fruit) and vegetative (leaf and bark) characters. The participants will learn to use both identifications keys in traditional Floras and interactive on-line keys. During the practical the participants will be able to examine living, herbarium and alcohol preserved material, and during excursions to the tropical greenhouses of botanical gardens in Amsterdam, Leiden and Utrecht special attention will be paid to collection techniques and field characteristics.
- Ability to identify tropical plant taxa based on vegetative and generative characters
- Knowledge of botanical technical terms (plant morphology and anatomy) used in taxon diagnoses, descriptions and identification keys
- Ability to use identification tools (dichotomous and multi-access keys)
- Knowledge of collection techniques for plant material
- Knowledge of the ecological and economic importance of tropical plant taxa
6 – 24 January 2014; details will be communicated on Blackbiard in due time
Total number of contact hours
42 h lectures, 52 h practicals/demonstrations, 16 h excursions
Mode of instruction
Lectures, demonstrations, literature study, excursions
All information of lectures and papers will be available on Blackboard.
Judd et al, Plant Systematics (2007); Simpson, Plant Systematics (2010); Corlett & Primack, Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison (2011)
via USIS and enroll in Blackboard
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for more information on how to apply.
Minimal 10 students
|Is part of||Programme type||Semester||Block|
|Biology: Animal Biology and Disease Models||Master||1|
|Biology: Biology and Education||Master||1|
|Biology: Biology and Science-Based Business||Master||1|
|Biology: Biology and Science Communication & Society||Master||1|
|Biology: Evolution Biodiversity and Conservation||Master||1|
|Biology: General Biology Programme (no research specialisation)||Master||1|
|Biology: Microbial Biotechnology and Health||Master||1|
|Biology: Plant Sciences and Natural Products||Master||1|