Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Wildland Plant Identification Lab (Face-to-Face)

RANG 3805-01

Course: RANG 3805-01
Credits: 1
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ASNS
CRN: 10056

Instructor Information

Instructor: Nathan Dulfon, MS Rangeland Science
Office: GC 203B
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday - 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Tuesday - 1:00 -2:00 PM
Wednesday, Friday - 8:00 - 9:00 AM
Or by appointment
Phone: (435)-586-1923
Email: nathandulfon@suu.edu

Course Description

Plant identification of wildland ecosystems based on sight recognition of morphological characteristics, with limited use of plant keys. Field trips will supplement the lab.

Course Requirements

Co-requisite(s): RANG 3800 Registration 
Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

A Utah Flora, 5th Edition (Welsh)
*Located on Canvas* or at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mlbm/4/
ISBN: 978-0-842502701-9

Supplementary Text:
Plant Identification Terminology - An Illistrated Glossary, 2nd Edition (Harris & Harris)
ISBN: 978-93-95367-13-4

Recommended equipment:
Plant ID kit
  • 10x hand lens
  • Transparent measuring tool (millimeters/centimeters)
  • Plant press (wood, cardboard, news paper, cinch strap)
  • Razor blade

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
  • Define terms associated with plant taxonomy and identification
  • Name by common/scientific name >70 plants
  • Understand what plants are associated with different vegetation communities
  • Understand ecological, social, medicinal, and other uses for plants
  • Mount plants professionally as expected in a herbarium collection

Grading

Students will earn points for quizzes/exams and projects.
A letter grade will be assigned according to the following grading scale:

Grade        Percent Range
A               100% to 94%
A-              < 94% to 90%
B+             < 90% to 87%
B               < 87% to 84%
B-              < 84% to 80%
C+             < 80% to 77%
C               < 77% to 74%
C-              < 74% to 70%
D+             < 70% to 67%
D               < 67% to 64%
D-              < 64% to 61%
F               < 61% to 0%

Semester Point Breakdown
Quizzes - 250 pts
Field Trip/Class Participation - 250 pts
Project 1 - 15 Mounted/Pressed/Labeled Plants - 150 pts
Plant ID Quizzes (70 Plants) - 350 pts
TOTAL 1000 pts

*Semester point breakdown and course outline may be subject to change*

Attendance Policy

The professor expects students to arrive to class on time and be prepared to participate in class discussion and outdoor activities.
Attendance is very important and students are responsible for making arrangements to get class material when missing class.
Students are responsible for transportation to activities within close proximity to SUU campus.
Cell phones are to be shut off or silenced during class.
No dogs in class unless it is a certified service dog.

* Please be prepared to operate in cold/hot/wet/dry/windy or other inclement weather for the duration of outdoor activities*

* Bring proper sun protection, footwear, clothing, hydration, food/snacks, etc. for outdoor activities*

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Assignments are to be handed in on the established due date.
Late work will be accepted with a 30% deduction of points.
Labs and lab quizzes will not be set up if missed.
One quiz score will be dropped if missed.

Course Outline

Date             Topic and reading assignment

Th 1/8           Syllabus and course expectations - Commenced attendance quiz & student demographic information form

T 1/13           Chapter 1 - The Beginning
Th 1/15         Chapter 2 - Plant Classification

T 1/20           Chapter 3 - The Flower
Th 1/22         Chapter 3 - The Flower

T 1/27           Chapter 4 - Inflorescences or Flower Clusters
Th 1/29         Chapter 5 - The Fruit

T 2/3             Chapter 6 - The Root
Th 2/5           Chapter 7 - The Stem

T 2/10           Chapter 8 - The Leaf
Th 2/12         Chapter 9 - Surfaces

T 2/17           Chapter 10 & 11 - Angiosperms and Gymnosperms
Th 2/19         Chapter 12 - Floral Families & Dichotomous Key

T 2/24           Chapter 12 -  Floral Families & Dichotomous Key
Th 2/26         Field Trip - Mojave Community Plant ID

T 3/3             Mojave Community Plant ID Quiz (Classroom)             
Th 3/5           Work on Plant Collection Project - No Classes

T 3/10           Spring Break - No Classes
Th 3/12         Spring Break - No Classes

T 3/17          Field Trip - Blackbrush/Chapparal Community Plant ID
Th 3/19        Blackbrush/Chapparal Community Plant ID Quiz (Classroom)

T 3/24          Field Trip - Pinyon/Juniper/Sagebrush Community Plant ID (at SUU Farm)
Tr 3/26         Field Trip - Pinyon/Juniper/Sagebrush Community Plant ID Quiz (at SUU Farm)

T 3/31          Festival of Excellence - No Classes
Th 4/2          Field Trip - Salt Desert Community Plant ID

T 4/7            Field Trip - Salt Desert Community Plant ID Quiz
Th 4/9          Field Trip - Riparian Community Plant ID

T 4/14          Field Trip - Field Trip - Riparian Community Plant ID Quiz
Th 4/16        Field Trip - Mountain Shrub Community ID

T 4/23          Final Exam (1:00 - 2:50 PM in Classroom) - Mountain Shrub Community ID Quiz & Submit Mounted Plant Collection

*Course outline and semester point breakdown may be subject to change*

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.