18/07/14 - 21/07/14
Grasses (family Poaceae) with their small inconspicuous flowering parts are often considered to be a 'difficult' group of plants to identify. The aim of this course is to familiarize you with the terminology and identification keys associated with grasses to allow you to become familiar with and confident in the identification of at least the most common grass species contributing to acid, neutral and base-rich swards around the Malham Tarn area. Hopefully, you will go away feeling confident about keying out and identifying grasses by yourself!
The course will include:
-An introduction to the structure of grasses including flowering parts and vegetative characters useful in their identification
-The use of keys and familiarisation with the terminology used
-Excursions to a variety of habitats around the Field Centre and the Malham area with their different associated grasses
Time will be divided between the field and the classroom with an emphasis on grass identification in the field during the day (weather permitting):
Suggested programme:
Friday: Introduction to course, what makes a grass a grass…
Saturday: Introduction to grass structure and use of keys. Visit to fen & mire and limestone pavement.
Sunday: Visit to two contrasting woodlands.
Monday: Visit to grasslands around the centre.
Evenings will mainly be spent in the classroom where we will practice using keys and where microscopes will be available for more thorough examination of flowering parts and identification of more difficult species collected during the day.
|
