Dr M says: It’s that time of year again!
Last year’s University of Reading MSc Plant Diversity students (class of 2014 pictured above) are just about finishing their dissertations and ready to move on to botanical pastures new, while the class of 2015 are soon to be on their way to Reading for a new exciting and, if Dr M has anything to do with it, eXtreme botanical year in their lives!
Dr M’s signature module is the very yummy VSA: “Vegetation Survey and Assessment” and he will share with his students the joys of plant identification, vegetation ecology and vegetation analysis.
The five volumes of British Plant Communities (the NVC) and the lovely MAVIS will never be far away – don’t worry if this means nothing to you, on the MSc Plant Diversity all will be revealed in the fullness of time!
THE essential tool of the field botanists trade is the hand lens, read about it here:
Plant ID books also indispensible and these range from the advanced but botanically fundamental book of Stace here
…and the botanically life-changing veg key here
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- The Book of Stace
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- The Veg Key
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- Wildflower guides
…and some illustrated UK Wildflower guides here
Last year, in a flurry of creativity (that’s one word for it, though Dr M’s colleagues can think of several alternatives) Dr M invented eXtreme botany – find out what it’s all about? here
There’s also a hint of eXtreme botanical irony and some plant-induced craziness in Dr M’s guide to the botanists quadrat here
and
Dr M’s favourite plant group the Poaceae here
and
To celebrate all that is Poaceous, the infamous Poaceae song is here
So, whats not to love about field botany?
Enrol in the University of Reading MSc Plant Diversity and find out more!
September 14, 2014
