Course Syllabus
SYLLABUS AND COURSE SUMMARY
Syllabus
LARC 5330: Plant Identification and Ecology
LARC 5330: Plant Identification and Ecology
Fall 2024
Instructor: David Hopman, ASLA, PLA
Office Number: CAPPA 421
Office Telephone Number: 817.272.0468
Email Address: dhopman@uta.edu
Faculty Profile: https://www.uta.edu/academics/faculty/profile?username=dhopman
Office Hours: TBA or by appointment.
Time and Place of Class Meetings: ARCH 404: Monday and Wednesday 12:00-2:50 and online in TEAMS
Description of Course Content:
This course offers a broad overview of the many plant materials, plant industry professionals, and planting techniques that are required to design, install, and maintain successful and future viable landscapes. The student will learn a plant palette appropriate to a wide variety of design styles and ecological relationships. Emphasis is placed on North Texas native plants, ecology, and future viable planting practices. Field trips will cover a cross-section of the landscapes in the Dallas/Fort Worth area from urban projects to nature centers. Green Industry professionals will share their expertise both in class and on field trips. Local field trips are required, and students will need a good digital camera. Comfortable shoes and a hat should be brought to every class and field trip.
Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of the class, students will:
Demonstrate through a series of quizzes and tests knowledge of:
- ecological relationships and plant communities as they apply to the North Texas area,
- nomenclature, uses, and horticultural requirements for canopy trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, groundcovers, grasses, and aquatic plants suitable for the various ecological zones of North Central Texas,
- knowledge of how landscape architects evaluate plants for suitability in their designs using aesthetic, horticultural, environmental, ecological, and engineering criteria.
- Independently prepare a comprehensive regionally appropriate plant palette from internet resources for a geographical area beyond the DFW Metroplex as designated by the professor.
Students will read and study materials about plants and ecology provided by the professor and online resources. There are no required textbooks.
The following App is required and will be used for both fieldwork and quizzes:
Flora of Texas: Fort Worth Prairie Region. Botanical Research Institute of Texas and High-Country Apps, LLC. ($7.99).
See: https://www.highcountryapps.com/FloraOfTexasFortWorthPrairie.aspx
Other Recommended Texts for Plant Materials in Texas: (highlighted=highly recommended)
Arnold, Michael Aloysius, second edition 2002. Landscape Plants for Texas and Environs. Champaign: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.
Darke, Rick, 2007. The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes. Portland: Timber Press.
Diggs, George M. Jr., Barney L. Lipscomb and Robert J. O’Kennon, 1999. Shinners & Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Fort Worth: Botanical Research Institute of Texas.
Franz, Alan Dean, 2005. Perennial Gardening in Texas. Dallas: Taylor Trade Publishing.
Garrett, Howard, 2002. Howard Garrett’s Texas Trees. Lanham: Taylor Trade Publishing.
Garrett, Howard, 2004. Texas Gardening the Natural Way. Austin: University of Texas Press. Or newest edition
Grime, Phillip J., 2001. Plant Strategies, Vegetation Processes, and Ecosystem Services. John Wiley and Sons.
Harris, James G. and Melinda Woolf Harris, 2001. Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary. Spring Lake Utah, Spring Lake Publishing.
Ogden, Scott, 1994. Garden Bulbs for the South. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company.
Ogden, Scott, 1992. Gardening Success with Difficult Soils. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company.
Ondra, Nancy J., 2002. Grasses. North Adams: Storey Books.
Sibley, David Allen, 2009. The Sibley Guide to Trees. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Simpson, Benny J., 1988. A Field Guide to Texas Trees. Houston, Gulf Publishing Company.
Van Sweden, James, 1997. Gardening with Nature. New York: Random House.
Van Sweden, James, 1995. Gardening with Water. New York: Random House.
Varney, Bill and Sylvia, 1998. Herbs. Tucson: Ironwood Press.
Wasawski, Sally and Andy, 1997. Native Texas Plants. Houston: Gulf Publishing Company.
Wasawski, Sally, 2002. Gardening with Prairie Plants. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Welch, William C, 1989. Perennial Garden Color. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company, 1989.
Whitcomb, Carl E., 1999. Know it and Grow It III. Stillwater, Lacebark Publications.
Wilson, E. O., 2016. Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life. New York, Liveright Publishing Corporation
Attendance: As the instructor of this section, I have established the following attendance policy: Attendance at all lectures and field trips is mandatory. We will work out the most convenient time for all concerned following the first class. Field trips may be on weekends or otherwise outside of regularly scheduled class time. Every unexcused absence will lower the semester grade by one half letter or 5%.
Beyond the time required to attend each class meeting, students enrolled in this course should expect to spend at least an additional 9 hours per week in course-related activities, including reading required materials, completing assignments, preparing for exams, etc.
Grading:
Weekly quizzes on readings, lectures, and plant lists: 30%
Comprehensive Midterm Exam: 15%
Final Exam: 30%
Internet project: 15%
Other assignments and projects 10%
Students are expected to keep track of their performance throughout the semester and seek guidance from available sources (including the instructor) if their performance drops below satisfactory levels. A 50% deduction will apply to any work turned in late without a valid excuse such as a note from a doctor or prior approval by the professor. All work will be graded in a timely manner and results are available on CANVAS.
Make up Exams and Quizzes
The lowest two quiz scores are dropped. Therefore, no make-up quizzes will be given. Exams will not be made up unless prior approval is obtained from the professor.
Lockdown Browser Requirement
This course requires the use of Lockdown Browser for online Quizzes. Watch this video to get a basic understanding of Lockdown Browser:
https://www.respondus.com/products/lockdown-browser/student-movie.shtml
Download Instructions Download and install Lockdown Browser from this link:
https://download.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id=163943837
Once Installed
- Start Lockdown Browser
- Log into to Canvas
- Navigate to the quiz
Note: You won't be able to access a quiz that requires Lockdown Browser with a standard web browser. If this is tried, an error message will indicate that the test requires the use of Lockdown Browser. Simply start Lockdown Browser and navigate back to the exam to continue.
Guidelines
When taking an online quiz, follow these guidelines:
- Select a location where you won't be interrupted.
- Before starting the test, know how much time is available for it, and also that you've allotted sufficient time to complete it.
- Turn off all mobile devices, phones, etc. and don't have them within reach.
- Clear your area of all external materials - books, papers, other computers, or devices.
- Remain at your desk or workstation for the duration of the test.
- Lockdown Browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications; you will be unable to exit the test until all questions are completed and submitted.
Getting Help
Several resources are available if you encounter problems with Lockdown Browser:
- The Windows and Mac versions of Lockdown Browser have a "Help Center" button located on the toolbar. Use the "System & Network Check" to troubleshoot issues.
- If you're still unable to resolve a technical issue with Lockdown Browser, go to support.respondus.com and select "Submit a Ticket". Provide detailed information about your problem and what steps you took to resolve it.
Course Schedule
This course has 7-10 field trips, some of which are tours of the UTA campus to study plant materials. Field trip scheduling will depend on weather conditions. In general, trips will only be scheduled when the temperature is between the upper 40s and the upper 80s-Fahrenheit and when inclement weather is not expected. One lecture class will take place each week and the other time slot for the workshop (field trips) will be at the discretion of the professor. Additionally, there may be several workdays to install and/or maintain native plant polycultures on the campus.
The semester schedule is as follows:
Week 1: Introduction to the course and overview of future viable plant palettes for metropolitan areas.
Week 2: Plant morphology and using an App to identify native species.
Week 3: Introduction lecture continued. Weather, climate, and plant materials in North Texas.
Week 4: Sunlight in horticulture
Week 5: Water in horticulture
Week 6: Soils in horticulture
Week 7: Planting for pollinators
Week 8: Mid-term exam
Week 9: Internet project assigned.
Weeks 9-14: These weeks will be prime time for field trips as we will have the best chance of great weather.
Week 13: Class review of internet project
Week 14 or 15: field trips and/or review of final projects
Week 16: final presentation of internet project
As the instructor for this course, I reserve the right to adjust this schedule in any way that serves the educational needs of the students enrolled in this course. –David D Hopman.
Special note for the hybrid form of the class in 2024
The format of the class for this fall is subject to change but this is how I expect the class to be conducted as of 7-2024 and until further notice.
We will plan on meeting in person as long as we can safely do so. We normally spend a portion of most classes outdoors, especially after the weather begins to cool down in late September.
Over 99% of all serious illness and death is among the unvaccinated and the trends are moving younger and younger. The average age in hospitals in Texas is currently less than 40. Even if you have had COVID, you will not be as protected as you will be with a vaccination, according to the CDC. Over 223 million people in the US have been fully vaccinated (over 600 million doses!) with very minimal side effects so we know the vaccine is BOTH very safe and extremely effective. Please take this seriously and do your part to prevent the pandemic from returning by joining me in getting the vaccine and boosters if you have not done the right thing and gotten these already.
Last year, all of my classes had a least one COVI19 infection and several students became very ill. With common sense measures, we can avoid the disruption and misery of infection.
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If you have any of the symptoms above, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me indicating that you will not be able to attend the activity and that you will be quarantined until you receive COVID-19 test results.
Online issues
We will use TEAMS for all online classes and CANVAS for quizzes, exams, and for other activities TBA. You can learn these programs very easily by using linked-in learning videos (free to UTA students) or by studying the help in the programs themselves.
It will be important for all students to have a good internet connection, a good microphone and adequate video camera, and a large enough monitor to see all course content comfortably. We may spend hours each week online if required so please make every effort to get set up electronically for success. Below are a few tips on your setup:
- WIFI: Key element for your online experience and also for those participating with you!
- a. Test regularly to learn what blocks and stops it. I use “internet speed test” on google.
- My WIFI stops almost completely when the microwave in my kitchen is running (about 40 feet and three rooms away)
- If you live in an apartment, consider a hardwired Ethernet connection. I bought a 100-foot cord for my office for less than 10 dollars and it made a huge difference in both speed and reliability.
- a. Get an adapter for USB, thunder stick etc.—will assure that you receive uninterrupted signal.
- Blue tooth headphones can weaken the signal.
- A Wi-Fi range extender is extremely useful! I used to use TP Link before I got the long ethernet cable. It doubled my Wi-Fi___33 speed (actual) from 40-45 to 94-97 mb/second.
- a. the extender can occasionally cause problems with connection. Reboot the extender from time to time if there are issues.
- b. Get as close as possible to the router if no Wi-Fi___33 extender.
- Raise the router off of the floor for better coverage.
- in order to boost the signal, turn off all web browsers and other programs that use a lot of resources while you are in class!
- Check your cloud server syncing-could use too much bandwidth.
- Ask people in your household to not use WIFI while you are in an online class or meeting.
- Get a Wi-Fi___33 upgrade. 20 meg/second or higher is better and more resilient. 100 meg/second or more is better.
- If weak signal, consider lowering the resolution of your camera in order to keep the voice signal robust.
- Consider getting a webcam with a good integrated microphone. This will improve the sound and video and remove need for headsets.
- We will discuss any other issues as the semester progresses.
Institutional Information
UTA students are encouraged to review the below institutional policies and informational sections and reach out to the specific office with any questions. To view this institutional information, please visit the Institutional Information page (https://resources.uta.edu/provost/course-related-info/institutional-policies.php) which includes the following policies among others:
- Drop Policy
- Disability Accommodations
- Title IX Policy
- Academic Integrity
- Student Feedback Survey
- Final Exam Schedule
Additional Information
Face Covering Policy
Face coverings are not mandatory, all students and instructional staff are welcome to wear face coverings while they are on campus or in the classroom.
Attendance
At The University of Texas at Arlington, taking attendance is not required but attendance is a critical indicator of student success. Each faculty member is free to develop his or her own methods of evaluating students’ academic performance, which includes establishing course-specific policies on attendance. As the instructor of this section, I have established the following attendance policy: Attendance at all lectures and field trips is mandatory. We will work out the most convenient time for all concerned following the first class. Field trips may be on weekends or otherwise outside of regularly scheduled class time. Every unexcused absence will lower the semester grade by one half letter or 5%. Beyond the time required to attend each class meeting, students enrolled in this course should expect to spend at least an additional 9 hours per week in course-related activities, including reading required materials, completing assignments, preparing for exams, etc. However, while UT Arlington does not require instructors to take attendance in their courses, the U.S. Department of Education requires that the University have a mechanism in place to verify Federal Student Aid recipients’ attendance in courses. UT Arlington instructors should be prepared to report the last date of attendance as part of the final grading process. Specifically, when assigning a student a grade of F, faculty must report the last date a student attended their class based on evidence of academic engagement such as a test, participation in a class project or presentation, or an engagement online via Canvas. This date is reported to the Department of Education for federal financial aid recipients.
Distance education courses require regular and substantive online interaction and participation. Students must participate in online course activities to demonstrate attendance; logging into an online class is not sufficient by itself to demonstrate attendance.
Emergency Exit Procedures
Should we experience an emergency event that requires evacuation of the building, students should exit the room and move toward the nearest exit, which is located on the northwest end of the hallway and also down the main staircase in the center of the building. When exiting the building during an emergency, do not take an elevator but use the stairwells instead. Faculty members and instructional staff will assist students in selecting the safest route for evacuation and will make arrangements to assist individuals with disabilities.
Academic Success Center
The Academic Success Center (ASC) includes a variety of resources and services to help you maximize your learning and succeed as a student at the University of Texas at Arlington. ASC services include supplemental instruction, peer-led team learning, tutoring, mentoring and TRIO SSS. Academic Success Center services are provided at no additional cost to UTA students. For additional information visit: Academic Success Center . To request disability accommodations for tutoring, please complete this form .
The IDEAS Center (https://www.uta.edu/ideas/) ( 2 nd Floor of Central Library) offers FREE tutoring and mentoring to all students with a focus on transfer students, sophomores, veterans and others undergoing a transition to UT Arlington. Students can drop in or check the schedule of available peer tutors at www.uta.edu/IDEAS, or call (817) 272-6593.
The English Writing Center (411LIBR)
The Writing Center offers FREE tutoring in 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute face-to-face and online sessions to all UTA students on any phase of their UTA coursework. Register and make appointments online at the Writing Center (https://uta.mywconline.com). Classroom visits, workshops, and specialized services for graduate students and faculty are also available. Please see Writing Center: OWL for detailed information on all our programs and services.
The Library’s 2 nd floor Academic Plaza (http://library.uta.edu/academic-plaza) offers students a central hub of support services, including IDEAS Center, University Advising Services, Transfer UTA and various college/school advising hours. Services are available during the library’s hours of operation.
Librarian to Contact
Each academic unit has access to Librarians by Academic Subject that can assist students with research projects, tutorials on plagiarism and citation references as well as support with databases and course reserves.
- Morgan Rowe-Morris, MLS
Multidisciplinary Liaison Librarian
morgan.rowemorris@uta.edu
Library Information
Research or General Library Help
Ask for Help
- Academic Plaza Consultation Services (library.uta.edu/academic-plaza)
- Ask Us ( ask.uta.edu/ )
- Research Coaches (http://libguides.uta.edu/researchcoach)
Resources
- Library Tutorials ( library.uta.edu/how-to )
- Subject and Course Research Guides ( libguides.uta.edu )
- Librarians by Subject (library.uta.edu/subject-librarians)
- A to Z List of Library Databases (libguides.uta.edu/az.php)
- Course Reserves (https://uta.summon.serialssolutions.com/#!/course_reserves)
- Study Room Reservations (openroom.uta.edu/)
Emergency Phone Numbers
In case of an on-campus emergency, call the UT Arlington Police Department at 817-272-3003 (non-campus phone), 2-3003 (campus phone). You may also dial 911. Non-emergency number 817-272-3381