Botanical gardens - arks of biodiversity

Timetable

15 hours of lectures and 15 hours of field trips for each group. Lectures 15 h + fieldtrips 15 h x 2 groups = 45 h

Field trips in two locations in the city of Poznań, one in Plewiska and one in Kórnik. Students have to come by public transport. Urban and suburban buses are available as a mode of transpotation to each location.

Module aim (aims)

The aim of this module is to provide students with knowledge of legal, ecological and educational activities of botanic gardens by lectures and real life examples of 4 institutions. As many of the procedures employed in botanic gardens in Poland are international, the students will gain not only theoretical but also practical knowledge of managing of such a scientific and public institution.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Syllabus

In Poznan and its vicinity there are six botanic gardens. They belong to different institutions but are joined in a common goal of protection and study of plant biodiversity on Earth. In their collections one finds plants from six continents and various climates. Rare, endangered, protected by law, wild, ornamental and medicinal species are represented in their vast collections. During this module we will visit two institutions in Poznan: Botanical Garden of the Adam Mickiewicz University and Arboretum of the Natural Sciences University. Besides we will go to the Medicinal Garden of the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants in Plewiska and the Arboretum of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kórnik. All localities are accessible by public transport. Each visit will take around 3 class hours. In two institutions entrance fees may apply. We will go behind the scenes, see special collections, and learn about ex-situ plant conservation and seed banking. Students will learn about management activities and legal responsibilities of botanic gardens. Educational role and public outreach will be presented and discussed. We will also learn why botanic gardens are islands of biodiversity of plants and animals in the city, and what role do they play in the international protection of the whole planet flora. The lectures will provide an overview of botanic gardens' activities in different parts of the world with a special accent on CITES. For gaining their credits students will have to participate actively in the classes and pass a short written exam. 

Reading list

Materials will be provided and suggested during classes.