Course Description

This course for biology majors surveys basic principles of the plant sciences by examining all levels of biological organization. It covers comparative diversity, structure, and function of plant, fungal and protistan phyla. Topics include development, morphology and physiology, taxonomy, systematics, and evolution. Principles of population and community ecology and ecosystem interactions are emphasized. Laboratory activities include microscopic work, experimental physiology, and studies of biodiversity, natural history and ecology. Field trips to several ecosystems in the Bay Area provide numerous opportunities to study local flora.