Exploring Plant Phenology Using Herbarium Specimens

An undergraduate research course developed by the California Phenology Network
Katie Pearson, Susan Mazer, Tadeo Ramirez Parada, Natalie R. Love, and Jenn Yost

We're published! You can also find our materials on QUBES: ​https://qubeshub.org/publications/1956/3

In this course, students will design and conduct original research to examine the effect of climate on plant phenological events (e.g., flowering) using herbarium specimen data. Students will visualize, clean, and analyze herbarium specimen data and climate data using Excel and R code (through RStudio). Each student will present their research as a scientific report, poster, and/or a lightning talk. During weekly class meetings, important topics and guidance regarding the research process will be discussed.

Download Instructor's Guide

Download All Course Materials as ZIP file

---

Course overview

This course was designed for a relatively small class of advanced undergraduate students for a 10-week quarter. No previous experience with R or herbarium specimens is necessary, but students should have basic knowledge about the scientific method and be comfortable reading scientific literature. The weekly schedule of topics is shown below.