Course: Aquatic Plants

This 4-day intermediate course will introduce you to the identification of aquatic plants, the key features for discrimination, and the importance of these species for ecology, conservation, and recording.

What will be covered during this course?

The course will be delivered through a combination of seminars, laboratory identification sessions and practical fieldwork. Fieldwork will involve visiting a range of habitats where the specimens can be identified within an ecological context. Specimens may be taken back to the laboratory for examination with lenses and microscopes.

• The major family groups e.g. Batrachium, Ranunculus
• An exploration of the two big families Potamogetonaceae and Ranunculaceae, that contain many challenging and difficult to identify taxa
• Comparative analysis of vegetative and flowering parts of the major species, using distinguishing characteristics
• Strategies for identifying aquatic plants including the use of dichotomous keys and other resources
• Understanding the challenges that come with recording Aquatic species, including hybridisation, plasticity and seasonality
• Using a range of dichotomous keys to identify species
• Understand the importance and role of aquatic species as indicators of key habitats and ecological niches
• Surveying and collection techniques, as well as ways to maintain the recorders health and safety
• Preparing voucher specimens of aquatic plants for refereeing, and procedures for validation

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Identify a range of aquatic plants to family, genus and species where appropriate, using a variety of keys, field guides and other resources
• Critically evaluate the role that aquatic plants have as ecological indicators and their use in indicating habitat type

Residential and non-residential booking options are available.

This course is eligible for a student discount. If you are a current student, please use the discount code BioStudent20 at checkout for 20% off.

Please refer to the Field Studies Council website for further information and to book.