The Woody Plants Study Lab
Photo by Gregory Fox
The study lab for woody plants
(Room 2520 Dana) is a highly organized facility setup and maintained by
your friendly Woody
Plants staff. At very few other Universities will you find such
an opportuity for you to prepare yourself and hone your identification
skills before going out in the field. You will find the study lab
crucial to your success in Woody Plants. Below we describe the facilities
available for your use in the study lab.
Woody Plants Jeopardy:
A game to help you review
Study Materials
Fresh foliage -- We have
included fresh foliage in the lab for your study, which include
shoots of the required plants immersed in trays of water. You may
use this material for
study of the plant as you would find it in the field. Please try
to keep the fresh material immersed in the water so as to avoid it drying
out. Fresh material
will
remain in the study lab for two weeks only.
Herbarium sheets - Next to
each tray you wil find the corresponding herbarium sheet,
which consists of the plant dried and pressed under plastic for your study.
It is important for you to be able to identify the required plants using
these herbarium sheets
as well as the fresh material, as they will be included in the Halloween
Howl and Christmas Sing. All herbarium sheets will remain in the
lab the entire term. They will remain in place next to their corresponding
fresh material until
the fresh material is removed, after which they will be piled on the
gray
table nearest the Chem building.
The twig table -- In the
back of the room are the required twigs. These are the
twigs
we require you to know without any other plant part. The current
week's twigs are separated
to the right side of the table as you look toward the back of the
room. There are two labelled
specimens of each required twig and at least one
unlabelled
twig of each. These twigs are also left out the entire term for your
study. They are periodically replaced when worn out or beat up, but
please make an honest
effort
not to touch the buds of these specimens. There is little need for
you to, and the study material will remain in much better condition if
you do.
The fruit table -- Next
to the twig table is the fruit table, which contains fresh and
dried
specimens of fruits for various species. Again, the most current
species are separated
to the right of the table. Not all species are represented on the
fruit table, but you
should consider any fruit present there to be fair game for a quiz or exam.
These fruits also remain out for the duration of the course. Again,
please be careful when
handling the fruits on the fruit table. Also, DO NOT enter the glass
cabinets with fruit in
them . . . these are very old specimens we are preserving or ones that
are
very confusing and not suitable for study.
Mounted twigs -- All required
twigs are mounted on the tackboards on the side of the
room. Again, these twigs are NOT TO BE TOUCHED!!!!! They are
very delicate and old
and should be used for hands-off study only.
Study Lab Hours
The study lab is always left unlocked,
so that if you can get into the building you may
use it. The Dana Building is opened 6:30am - 10pm through the week
and 6:30am - noon on
Saturdays. Otherwise the outer doors are kept locked. However,
you
may enter the building
after hours in several ways:
*** If you are graduate student
with an office, your office key will
unlock the outer doors.
*** If you wait 5-10 minutes,
a student or faculty member will
usually exit, so that you can enter!!
*** When the doors are locked,
check the computer entrace in the
basement. It is often left unlocked
when the wooden doors
are locked.
*** The Woody Plants Bell.
Ask your GSI how it works!!!
*** Whatever you do, DO NOT
PROP OPEN THE DOORS
OUTSIDE. It is against University regulations.
Other Important Points:
** All GSI's will
hold their office hours
in the Study Lab. You should feel
free to ask any GSI a question when he/she is in office hours. See
the
schedules posted for hours.
** Do not worry about
the front two tables or the material left on them.
That is for a different, but similar course given by Dr. Barnes.
** Check the wall
opposite the windows for goofy stuff and
snack/teach-a-tree sign up.
** The plant list
for the current week is always posted by the light switch.
DO NOT remove this list from the study lab!!!!!!
** Check the black
board when you come in for study. Important messages
are often posted there.
** Whatever you do,
respect the study lab. You will find it invaluable
come exam time!