Fwd: course announcement

[J.B. Mols]

>X-Sender: Slik at hmpost.leidenuniv.nl
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>Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 13:22:55 +0200
>To: mols at hmpost.leidenuniv.nl
>From: slik <Slik at nhn.leidenuniv.nl>
>Subject: course announcement
>X-Antirelay: Good relay from local net2 132.229.92.0/24
>
>Plant Families of Southeast Asia
>Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University Branch (NHN-L), Leiden
>University
>
>
>
>Objectives
>Southeast Asia is one of the hotspots of global biodiversity: it contains
>more than 40,000 vascular plant species with a density 10 times higher
>than the European flora. The region is home to many well known and
>important plant taxa, like rice, rattan, bananas, rambutan, nutmeg,
>meranti and yam.
>
>The botanical diversity of Southeast Asia is being documented in an
>international project, coordinated by the NHN-L: Flora Malesiana. One of
>the aims of the Flora Malesiana project is the knowledge transfer of plant
>diversity. That is why this course has been set up.
>
>
>Target group
>The recognition of many plant taxa in the field is often problematic
>during collection expeditions, when doing ecological inventories, for
>studies on animal behaviour, ethnobotanical research and for pollination
>and dispersal studies. Species diversity is high, only few plants are
>flowering and good floras are often not yet available.
>
>This course is initiated for undergraduate and postgraduate students
>interested in the botanical wealth of Southeast Asia. You will learn how
>to make good plant collections, how to describe field characters and how
>to recognise some of the important plant families. You can get help with
>the identification of previously collected material too.
>
>At the beginning of the course the necessary botanical terms will be
>explained. Therefore, anthropologists and environmentalists, as well as
>biologists will also be able to follow the course. If foreign participants
>are present, the course will be given in English.
>
>
>Programme
>The participants will learn to recognise c. 25 economically and
>ecologically important plant families with the help of generative (flower
>and fruit) and vegetative (leaf and bark) characters. Generally, two plant
>families will be treated per day. Specialists, working at the NHN-L will
>give lectures with ample illustrations about plant families of that day
>and some important genera. In addition to the traditional floras,
>participants will also learn to use internet keys and several CD-ROMs
>(orchids, legumes and ferns).
>
>During the practicals the participants will be able to examine living,
>herbarium and alcohol preserved material. During excursions to the
>tropical greenhouses of the Leiden Botanical Garden attention will be paid
>to collection techniques and field characteristics.
>
>
>Duration, period and location of the course
>The course is given once every two years and lasts for 3 weeks, fulltime
>(150 credit hours). The next course will be given:
>May 6  May 23, 2003.
>Lectures and practicals will be given at the NHN-L, Van Steenis Building,
>Einsteinweg 2, Leiden, The Netherlands. This location is c. 15 minutes
>walking distance from Leiden Central Station.
>
>
>Costs
>The costs of the course are 20 euro (syllabus) for students of the Dutch
>Research Schools Biodiversity and Functional Ecology, and 500 euro (c. 500
>US dollars) for others (costs for accommodation and air fare are not included).
>
>
>Exam
>The course will end with a recognition exam. The participants will be
>expected to be able to identify 30 selected collections to the genus
>level. All participants who pass the exam will receive a certificate of
>the Research School Biodiversity.
>
>
>More information and subscription
>The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 20 due to the
>limited amount of practical material. Don't wait too long to subscribe!
>
>For more information please contact:
>
>Dr. JWF Slik (slik at nhn.leidenuniv.nl)
>Or
>Dr. MC Roos (roos at nhn.leidenuniv.nl)
>
>Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Leiden University Branch
>Van Steenisgebouw
>Einsteinweg 2
>Postbus 9514
>2300 RA
>Leiden
>The Netherlands
>
>Website: http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/