Sustainability in the Curriculum – A Case Study in Horticulture Amy N. Wright Professor, Horticulture

HORT 3000 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF HORTICULTURAL PLANTS  Required for all undergraduate Horticulture students  Basic Plant Physiology with applications to Horticulture  Production  Landscape  Turf  3 credit lecture course  Canvas for posting notes, assignments, study guides, and grades  Optional text books

Course Objectives  Gain knowledge of plant structures and their development.  Understand physiological processes of plant development.  Use physiological principles to predict and describe plant behavior during production and in the landscape.  Understand applications of plant physiological principles for sustainable horticulture.

Texts  Introduction to Plant Physiology, 3rd ed William G. Hopkins and Norman P.A. Huner.  Principles of Ecology in Plant Production Eds. T.R. Sinclair and F.P. Gardner.  The Ecology of Plants, 2nd ed J. Gurevitch, S. Scheiner, and G. Fox.

Lecture Topics  Invasive Plant Biology  Green Roof Plants  Plant Stress  Greywater Reuse, Phytoremediation, Flooding, Pollution, Drought  Secondary Plant Metabolites  Medicinal, human health  LID Landscaping (Low Impact Development)  Alabama Ecosystems and Biodiversity  Native Plants

Survey Questions  Something you hope to learn from this class:  How would you define plant physiology?  What do think sustainable horticulture involves?

Written Assignment  Select a native horticultural plant. Give its scientific and common name and state whether the plant is a monocot or a dicot, a perennial or an annual, and if perennial, whether evergreen or deciduous. Also discuss whether it prefers sun or shade, its growth habit, its growth rate, and its hardiness zone.  Describe your plant’s native habitat in terms of other vegetation typically present, soil type, topography, and geographic distribution. Discuss its uses (at least 2) in the landscape or garden. Discuss one way your plant could be used to promote sustainability in the landscape or garden. Discuss at least one tolerance or susceptibility to an environmental stress for your plant.

Links  Alabama Plant AtlasAlabama Plant Atlas  Alabama Smart YardsAlabama Smart Yards  Alabama Invasive Plants CouncilAlabama Invasive Plants Council  Alabama's 10 Worst Invasive WeedsAlabama's 10 Worst Invasive Weeds  Alabama Invasive Plant listAlabama Invasive Plant list  United States National ArboretumUnited States National Arboretum  National Arboretum Invasive Plant ListNational Arboretum Invasive Plant List  Low Impact DevelopmentLow Impact Development  Minor in Sustainability Studies at AUMinor in Sustainability Studies at AU  US Drought MonitorUS Drought Monitor

Additional Course Dimensions  Increased awareness of sustainability issues in the landscape and in production  Increased connectivity to natural environment  Understanding physiology  Plants as part of ecosystem  Scale up from cell level to ecosystem level  Illustrate ways to contribute personally to landscape sustainability

Additional Course Dimensions  Sense of pride in major  Role Horticulture can play in sustainability efforts  Value of Horticultural plants as a natural resource  Shift focus from ornamental to ecosystem services  Emphasis on biodiversity

Sustainability  “Meeting human needs now and in the future in a fair, just, and equitable way while protecting and maintaining healthy ecosystems in perpetuity.”  AU Office of Sustainability  Many diverse components; plants are just one (but important!) component

Sustainability in the Curriculum – A Case Study in Horticulture Amy N. Wright Professor, Horticulture