FOREST BOTANY BOTANY 3413: FALL 1997

INSTRUCTOR

Monica Macklin ext. 3831 Science 311b Office Hours: 10:30 and 1:30 M-W

macklin@cherokee.nsuok.edu

TEXTBOOK

1. Forest Trees of Oklahoma Revised by Elbert L. Little. Edition number 12.

2. Distribution and Identification of Woody Plants of Oklahoma in the Winter Condition by Paul S. Buck

3. Audubon Field Guide to Eastern Trees

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Identification, taxonomy, and distribution of forest trees and shrubs of the United States; their environmental conditions and utilization. Forestry movement in U. S. and relation to industry and conservation.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this course is to introduce the science of forestry. In particular, after completion of the semester, the student should

a) recognize the scope and impact of the forest industry both in the United States and in Oklahoma;

b) be able to identify the major tree species important to forestry;

c) understand the climatic and edaphic requirements of the major forest trees;

d) identify the major forest areas in the United States.

e) understand the organization of governmental agencies involved in regulating forested lands

EVALUATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Information in the class will be presented as lectures, demonstrations, slides, and field trips. Tree identification and nomenclature will be a major focus of the course. Therefore, identification quizzes will be given as well as normal lecture exams. Since the class is a junior level course, several projects will be required for completion of the course. These projects will be explained in greater detail in class. Grades will be assigned on the basis of total points accumulated during the semester. The breakdown of possible points is:

identification quizzes 30%

lecture exams 30%

projects 15%

Final Exam 25%

Final letter grade assignments will be based upon a 90% =A scheme. As the i.d. quizzes require a fair amount of set-up time there will be no make-up quizzes. However, the lowest of your quiz grades will be dropped.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

Regular attendance is expected; the nature of the lab exercised does not allow for make-up labs. If any member of this class feels that he/she has a disability and needs special accommodations please advise the instructor of such disability at the first class attended. NSU will publish any changes in schedules due to inclement weather on local radio and television stations.

PROJECTS

To aid you in woody plant identification, one project will involve the compilation of a leaf collection. The required plants, method of collection and preservation ill be discussed in class. Other projects will be in the form of lab reports and written papers. Failure to complete the leaf collection will result in an incomplete.

COURSE OUTLINE

The following is a tentative sequence of topics to be covered in this class.

A. History of Forestry

1. Human uses of forests

2. Development of federal forest policies in the U.S.

B. Forests in the United States

1. Forest types

2. Forested areas

3. Major species of forest trees

a. identification

b. nomenclature

c. habitats

d. uses of major species

C. Silvicultural Practices

1. Propagation

2. Stand Management

3. Pest control

4. Harvesting

D. Forests Outside of the United States

REFERENCES

The following books can be found in the NSU Library, both in the reference section and in the third floor stacks.

1. Silivics of Forest Trees of the United States. USDA Handbook no. 271. 1965. Contains generic descriptions as well as large scale maps.

2. Checklist of United States Tree (Native and Naturalized). USDA Handbook no. 541. 1979. The offical list of scientific and common names used by the Forest Service.

3. Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States. USDA Handbook 450. 1974. Covers the development, dispersal, collection of the seeds of woody plants.

4. The Forest and the Trees: A Guide to Excellent Forestry. Gordon Robinson. 1988. A biased approach to the policies of the Federal and private forests.

5. The U.S. Forest Service. Harold Steen. A history of the Federal Forest Service.

6. Forestry Handbook. Karl Wenger, ed. Society of American Foresters. A reference book which scratches the surface of most areas of forestry.

7. Winter Botany. William Trelease. 1967. A reprint of a of winter identification guide to over 1000 species.

8. Manual of the Trees of North America. Charles Sargent. 1949. An older but well illustrated guide.