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This Grasses, Sedges and Rushes course will provide you with an understanding of the importance of these species for conservation, ecology and recording.You will make the most of this by embarking on field visits to a range of contrasting sites, providing plenty of material from all three families, some of which will be examined in detail in the lab. Identification keys will be introduced and you will be encouraged to take the exciting step of making your own voucher specimens for reference.
Grasses and grass-like plants form a key component of most plant communities yet are notoriously difficult to identify. Accurate identification is essential for successful site surveys and management and a botanist’s skill is often judged by their ability to ‘do’ grasses, sedges and rushes. This course will cover the formal taxonomic differences between the three families Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae, and enable you to identify the most common members of each.
Classroom sessions will take place prior to excursions, enabling you to become familiar with the diagnostic features and terminology peculiar to these plants. As diagnostic characters are often small, the course will guide you in using hand lenses and microscopes confidently. You will also have the opportunity to press some of your specimens, look at the available field guides/floras, and utilise diagnostic keys, all with the support of our expert tutor.
The course will concentrate on the more common and important members of each family and on flowering, rather than vegetative material, equipping you with the necessary knowledge and confidence to continue to develop your skills independently, in the habitats you know and love!
What will be covered during this course?
The course will be delivered through a combination of seminars, laboratory identification sessions and practical field work
Characteristics of the Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Juncaceae
Comparative analysis of vegetative and flowering parts of Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Juncaceae
Strategies for identifying Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Juncaceae.
Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Juncaceae in a range of habitats, with emphasis on their usefulness as ecological indicators
Using a range of dichotomous keys to identify species
Understanding the importance of the Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Juncaceae as indicators of key habitats and ecological niches
Preparing voucher specimens for Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and Juncaceae and procedures for validation
This is a 4 day course. Different booking options are available. Please refer to our website for further information and to book.
https://www.field-studies-council.org/courses-and-experiences/static-courses/grasses-sedges-and-rushes-mmu/
#Botany #Ecology #HabitatSurveying
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Preston Montford Field Studies Centre, Preston Montford Lane,Shrewsbury, Shropshire, United Kingdom
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