Forestry: Dendrology

Classification, silvical characteristics, and identification features of native and introduced trees and shrubs.

Must register for a FOR 1210 lab A01-A03; Course fee: $120 Open to Degree and PACE students.

What species is this tree? How tall can trees get and how long can they live? Can trees “communicate” with each other? Why are Vermont's forests so colorful and beautiful in the Fall? Trees cover about a third of the land on our planet and nearly four fifths of Vermont. They provide habitat for animals, protect the soil from erosion, filter the water before it flows into streams, sequester carbon from the atmosphere, and provide us with a renewable source of wood, which is what the walls, roof, and floor around you are most likely made of, as are your furniture, the paper in your notebook, and the cardboard box that delivered you your latest online order. Knowing how to identify the different tree species and their relationship with other plants, animals, and their environment, is critical for their study, management, and conservation. In this course, we learn exactly that, and we do it in a fun and engaging way, including by having weekly outdoor trips to different forest ecosystems within an hour’s drive from campus (transportation provided). And getting out in Vermont’s woods during the Fall may be just what you need during your busy semester. COURSE DESCRIPTION: introduce you to the study of trees, dendrology, where study their physiology, taxonomy, silvics, uses, and identification through readings, classroom activities, lectures, discussions, and in outdoor labs.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: 1) be able to identify ~100 important tree and shrub species from field samples, 2) understand the basic structure of trees and the processes by which they function, 3) be familiar with how trees are categorized and related to each other, 4) know the important ecological and utilization characteristics for trees generally, and for the locally important species specifically, 5) be familiar with several species, genera, or families that are important and/or interesting nationally or internationally. READINGS: 1) required: Thomas, Peter. 2014. Trees: Their Natural History (2nd Edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 401p. ISBN: 978-0521133586; 2) Required: Maine Forest Service. 2008. Forest Trees of Maine (14th (Centennial) Edition, no ISBN). (also available in full-text for free on the web: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/index.html), 3) Recommended: Jenkins, J. 2018. Woody Plants of the Northern Forest – A Photographic Guide. Comstock Publishing Associates, ISBN: 978-1501719684. 4) Recommended: Harlow, W.M. 1946, 1954. Fruit Key and Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs. Dover. ISBN: 978-0486205113.

GRADE COMPONENTS: two lecture exams, weekly lab quizzes and a final lab exam on tree identification and scientific names, lecture quizzes and activities, silvics paper and a 1-slide species profile.