Botany





1.  Take four field trips, in at least two different growing seasons of

     the year, to one or more of the following natural areas: deciduous

     forest, evergreen forest, grassland, sage brush, desert, tundra.



2.  List by common name the kinds of plants found in one of these areas

     under the following groups: trees, shrubs, flowering plants, grasses,

     and grasslike plants, vines, epiphytes, ferns, mosses, algae, fungi,

     lichens.



3.  Do the following: [a] Determine which species of plants in the area

     studied are the largest and the most abundant and the amount of shade

     they cast on other plants. [b] Record any changes in the types of

     plants seen when you approach a lake, river, stream or pond; when you

     go up the side of a mountain; when you cross a grazed, cutover, or

     burned area; when you get near a road or railroad. [c] Tell how

     diseases, insect damage, or damage by other animals affect certain

     plants in an area.



4.  Collect, press properly, identify and label correctly 35 kinds of

     flowering plants by family, genus, and common name.



5.  List by common name at least 10 weeds and 10 cultivated plants in the

     vicinity of your home.



6.  List representative areas of preserved land, such as county forest

     preserves, staste and national forests, or parks near your town or in

     your state.



7.  Explain how plants manufacture carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and

     how they obtain energy from these foods to do their work.



8.  Tell what plants are rare where you live, and what is being done or

     should be done to protect them.



9.  Do ONE of the following experiments, a, b, c, or d: [a] (1) Soak and

     plant several bean seeds in a pot of soil. Water them and watch them

     grow for 4 weeks. (2) At the end of each week, record the stage of

     growth and make labeled drawing of each stage. [b] (2) Grow three

     cuttings of coleus, geranium, or other suitable garden or house plants

     in three separate pots of soil. Count the number of leaves of each

     plant. (2) Water the plants daily or every other day for 3 months as

     follows: POT A: distilled water. POT B: tap water. POT C: water with

     dissolved commercial fertilizer. (3) At the end of the 2-month period,

     compare the plants in all three pots by measuring and recording the

     height of each plant and counting and recording the number of leaves.

     (4) Explain the difference in growth of the plants in each pot.

     [c] (1) Plant a number of bean seeds orgrass seeds in two separate

     pots of soil. Water the plants daily or every other day throughout

     the experiment. (2) When the seeds have germinated, place one pot at

     a south-or-west-facing window. Place the other pot outdoors. (3) Note

     the differences in the growth of the two pots for 4 weeks. Record

     what you see. (4) Explain why the plants grew the way they did.

     [d] (1) Plant several soaked bean seeds in two separate pots of soil.

     Water the plants daily or every other day throughout the experiment.

     (2) After the seedlings are 10 centimeters high, place one pot in a

     light part of the house or outdoors. Place the other ot in a place

     where it receives no light. (3) AFter 2 weeks, observe and record the

     following differences: color of the leaves, height of the plants,

     and thickness of stem. (4) Explain what causes the difference.