Plant Systematics - Botany 400 [taught every Fall semester]

Plant systematics: the integration of taxonomy (identification, nomenclature, classification emphasizing flowering plants), evolution (speciation, reproductive biology, adaptation, convergence, biogeography), and phylogenetics (phenetics, cladistics, morphology and molecules). Lab emphasis on representative families and genera of flowering plants in Wisconsin, use of keys and manuals, plant collection.

Vascular Flora of Wisconsin - Botany 401 [taught even year Spring semesters]

Vascular Flora of Wisconsin is a taxonomic survey and the natural history of the ferns, lycopods, horsetails, conifers and flowering plants of Wisconsin, with emphasis on the flowering plants. Emphasis is on the use of keys and on the ability to identify by sight a representative sample of families, genera, and species in the vascular flora of Wisconsin. Lecture and lab are integrated. The final portion of the course (no lecture or lab) is conducted by the student in the forest setting where the student identifies all trees ands shrubs and all plants in flower, and makes a representative plant collection of which some will be mounted.

Plant Geography - Botany 422 [taught odd year Spring semesters]

Biogeography is the study of the distributions of plants through time. The theme of this course is taken from Leon Croizat "earth and life evolve together". The course will examine the distributions of plants from the perspectives of both ecology (biomes, climate, vegetation) and history (floristics, phylogenetics, paleobotany).

Systematics Seminar - Botany 940 / 941 [led every semester with David Baum & Bret Larget]

Graduate level seminar course focusing on systematic and evolutionary topics. Emphasis on cross-disciplinary areas of current research using recently published papers. Faculty and students share responsiblity for the weekly topics. This semester (Spring 2006) we are covering "Evidence for Evolution". Topics in past semesters included: Phylogeography; Recent advances in Phylogenetics; Systematics, evolution & development; Key innovation and species radiations; Island biology; Analytical biogeography; Pollination biology; Systematics of Asteraceae; Hybridization and introgression; Species & speciation.

Field Botany - taught summer session 1 at the Au Sable Environmental Institute, Mancelona, MI