Although many of our labs take place at Baruch, we are focused on the outside world! The New York metropolitan region offers the chance to observe many different natural habitats, ranging from valleys, streams, and rivers to the Atlantic Oceans. In addition, you can observe organisms and learn about environments from around the world (and across millennia) through local collections (zoos, museum, etc.). During the semester you will take advantage of these local resources to visit some local sites. These may include botanical gardens, zoos, and/or museums. These visits will enhance the class by extending ideas we have already introduced in lab and introducing some new ones.
These instructions focus on a trip to the Queens Botanical Garden.
Students will explore concepts including evolution, adaptations, biomes, and species interactions by visiting a botanical garden.
Students should be able to
Relate plant traits to the biomes in which they are found
Explain how natural selection may lead to observed plant traits
Identify species interactions
Explain how long-term events such as glacial cycles have impacted local communities
Always free from December to March, After March, admission is free on Wednesdays from 3-6pm, and Sundays from 9-11am. Otherwise access to the grounds is $4 with student ID.
For this assignment, I want you to visit the garden and answer the following questions focused on identifying plant growth forms (and their relation to biomes) and species interactions. Read through this entire document before you go! You can look at the map on your cell phone (https://queensbotanical.org/gardens/) or pick up one when you enter.
Note: Stay on the trails at all times. You may want to bring binoculars, sunscreen, and water depending on the weather conditions. YOU MUST SUBMIT PICTURES OF YOURSELF AT THE GARDEN TO DOCUMENT YOUR TRIP!
In our class discussions on adaptations we discuss how evolution leads to populations that are adapted to their environment (and eventually biological diversity). In the natural world, terrestrial biomes (more info @ https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/terrestrial-biomes-13236757/ and https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/44-3-terrestrial-biomes ) are large communities shaped by patterns in the physical environment; temperature and precipitation, for example, play a major role. Since plants are generally sessile (not mobile), plants must generally be adapted to survive in these environments, and thus plant growth forms are also used to identify biomes (e.g, many people associate cactus with deserts). Growth forms include factors like leaf retention (evergreen vs deciduous), thickness, and related ability to retain moisture (succulence).
Take pictures of 3 plants (or you can draw them) from two different areas of the Garden that exhibit different growth forms. You may visit the:
Deciduous Conifer Forest
Wetland & Woodland Garden with The Fred Gerber Woodland Walk
Bee Garden
Pinetum
Meadow
Arboretum/crabapple grove
Describe the growth forms, how they show adaptions to a given climate/area, and the type of biome (see Chapters 44.3 of Biology) you would expect to find the plant in. Make sure to state which areas you visited!
2. In relation to our focus on evolution and diversity, visit one or more of the group-specific collection below. Focusing on a blooming group will add to your analysis. In addition to the notes below regarding bloom time, you can check out the "What's beautiful now?" tab under the garden collection site.
Circle Garden
Four seasons border
Seasonal bed
Unity garden
Constructed wetland
Rose garden
Perrenial garden
Annual garden
Magnolia walk
Herb garden
Take (or draw) pictures of three plants from the collection you choose. Describe the diversity you see. What do you think led to such diversity?
3. We will be discussing species interactions in class as well. The relationship between plants and their pollinators (bees, flies, etc.) is one of the most common and valuable examples of interactions that you will see in the garden, but you may also observe other interactions (e.g., herbivory, predation, competition). If you don’t know what these terms are, check out Chapter 19.4 of Concepts of Biology from OpenStax and the Scitable article on interactions . Describe 2 examples of interactions you observe in the garden and how you think each organism is being impacted by the interaction. Take pictures or draw them.
4. Depending on the time of year you visit the botanic gardens, different plants are going to be in different phases of their growth and reproductive cycles. This is called plant phenology. Use this link (https://queensbotanical.org/botanical-highlights/) and choose a plant that is flowering during the month of your visit. Hint: Using the map or iNaturalist will help you narrow down the identity of the plant!
a. Take a picture of you with one flowering plant in the garden
b. Make observations about the physical characteristics of the plant
c. When you get home, look up the species on https://www.inaturalist.org and read about the flowering phenology of your plant. Provide a one or two sentence recap of what you learned.
5. The garden is a unique resource located within an urban setting. Take a moment to reflect on the differences between the garden and the surrounding area. Describe your personal experience/observations at Queens BG.