Bennington Biodiversity Project (BIO4303.01)

Kerry Woods

An All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) is an effort to compile the full list of species of all taxa present in some area on the planet. No ATBI has ever been (or ever will be?) completed, but this class is an ongoing effort towards a working ATBI for the Bennington College campus (which is unusually diverse for its area). Past terms have addressed fungi, various invertebrate groups, flowering plants. This term, we will explore the strange, diverse, and rarely noticed world of the cryptogams — mosses, liverworts, lichens. Students will learn the specialized tools for studying these organisms, become acquainted with their taxonomy and systematics, and contribute to the building of the Bennington College ATBI wiki (currently at around 530 species; this effort should take it well past 600). This class is offered pass/fail only.

Prerequisites: Prior work in college-level biology or permission of instructor.
Credits: 2
W 8:30am - 12:00pm
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Course Frequency:
This course is categorized as 4000, All courses, Biology, Kerry Woods, Two Credit, Wednesday Mornings.