BCC Bioscience Image Library is a media file repository of images and video clips made available to educators and students in the biological sciences. The resources are created by faculty, staff and students of Berkshire Community College and are licensed under Creative Commons 0. This means all content is free, with no restrictions on how the material may be used, reused, adapted or modified for any purposes, without restriction under copyright or database law.

This project was partially funded by a $20,000,000 grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, Grant # TC-26450-14-60-A-25. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

If you have any questions contact professor Faye Reynolds at: freynold@berkshirecc.edu

Satellite observations that detect and map fires provide important insight into the widespread nature of fire activity around the world. This visualization, which shows global satellite observations of fires in 2002 and 2003, goes on to focus on a region where fire plays a dominant role in the landscape: Southern California. The wildfires that roared through Southern California in the autumns of 2003 and 2007 were particularly fast-burning and destructive because people have actively suppressed fires in the region where residential development is expanding further and further into wild land areas.

This reference list has more than 30 kid-friendly books on biodiversity. For each title, the author, publisher, and publication date are given. The diverse list includes field guides for identifying plants and insects, hands-on nature experiments and activities, photographic looks at the world's diverse species, and handbooks with tips about collecting and preserving specimens.

Word Count: 105063

ISBN: 979-8-9859684-2-2

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically as part of a bulk import process by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided. As a result, there may be errors in formatting.)

This learning video introduces high school students to a topic they would not ordinarily study in school, biotechnology, and to different applications of biotechnology that relate to the main theme of the module - making the desert greener. After reviewing traditional methods used for manipulating plants to produce desired traits, students will learn about the methods of making transgenic plants. Dr. Ziad discusses a real world problem that is critical in his country, Jordan, where much of the land is desert. A prerequisite to this video lesson is some background in biology.

This blog post from the Fast Plants Team addresses the question "Do Fast Plants need Vernalization to Flower?". This post describes the concept of vernalization (requiring a cold period to induce flowering) and its role in regulating the development of flower structures in flowering plants. Some Fast Plants relatives in the Brassica genus require vernalization to induce flowering" however, Fast Plants do not require vernalization and will flower at about 14 days after planting when grown in recommended conditions.

This blog post shared on the Wisconsin Fast Plants website is a guest post by Daniel Murphy, author of the weekly blog Awkward Botany. In this post, Daniel shares his firsthand account of his experiences growing plants and becoming "a bona fide plant nerd." This post is a great example of the value in letting learners know plants by growing them. Thank you Daniel for letting us share this story!

This list of botanical gardens and arboretums includes links to Web sites which you can search for institutions in your region. In addition, it includes detailed information about 14 of the country's largest botanical gardens and arboretums. Where possible, it includes the following information for each: mailing address and phone number, Web site and email address, details about its grounds and collections, and the type of support offered, including educational materials, resource libraries, and classes/workshops.

This online article, from the museum's Musings newsletter for educators, profiles two scientists who lead walking tours in New York City's green spaces. Bill Schiller, a botany lecturer and senior museum instructor, discusses the ways in which he "builds an appreciation of how nature works and a sense of responsible stewardship" during his tours. Bob DeCandido, an urban park ranger, explains how he "teaches city-dwellers to look closely at their wild neighbors and become better environmental stewards in the process." The article also includes ideas for four activities that can be completed during a walking tour.

The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, specifically their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. “Very little of the world’s flora has been fully studied,” says one Smithsonian botanist, “and time is running out.” In the first lesson, students gets to know six endangered plants. They examine illustrations, photographs, and dried specimens of the plants as they consider this question: If a scientist can take a picture of a plant, are there advantages in having an illustration? They go on to consider some of the big questions that botanists themselves must ask: Which of these species are most in need of conservation efforts? Are any of these plants more worth saving than others?In the second lesson, the students try their own hands at botanical illustration, following the methods of a Smithsonian staff illustrator. All that is required for the lesson are pencils, markers, tracing paper, and access to a photocopier.

Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. 

Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. 

"Botany in Hawai‘i" discusses introductory topics of Botany through examples of the native and introduced plants found in Hawai‘i. It includes anatomy and physiology of seeds, roots, leaves, stems, fruits and flowers and covers the main plant groups from nonvascular to flowering plants. This book provides a visual reference to botanical concepts and terminology for beginners.

In The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan explores risks inherent in one of the most widespread practices in modern agriculture. It's called monoculture, and it refers to cultivation of single or very similar varieties of a food crop on large acreages. In many cases, the variety is one that dominates the marketplace, like the Russet Burbank potato, whose shape makes it a favorite for cutting French fries, or one of the few apple varieties commonly seen in supermarkets. Monoculture may offer economic advantages, but Pollan argues that it brings serious environmental risks.

A knowledge of broadleaf plant parts will help the student identify plants at various stages of life.  The weed ID resource books often use technical terms to describe how the plant parts look.  It is important the student understands the technical terms in order to properly identify weed species.  Students will also practice using common weed id apps

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Tropical maize hybrid, a single cross of flint and dent inbred lines, is an important crop throughout the Americas and Africa. Crop yield, however, is highly dependent on nitrogen availability, and fertilizers are therefore often necessary to increase production. Developing more nitrogen-efficient maize would not only cut costs for farmers, it would also increase crop yield and reduce environmental impacts. But how do you make a plant more nitrogen efficient? The performance and production of crops can be improved by selectively crossing individuals with desired traits. When such plants are crossed, they produce hybrids that are often bigger, stronger, and more vigorous than either of the parent plants. By carefully choosing which individuals are used in creating these hybrids, specific traits, such as nitrogen efficiency, can be selected for..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a publishing of 64 drawn illustrations. The images were initially created for an art installation by Kellie Bornhoft (kelliebornhoft.com). The artist wishes to share the images under CC BY-NC 4.0 for educational and non-commercial use. The intention is to bring awareness to these endangered species. 

This video will help students, particularly those not in AP-level classes, have a practical application for knowing about the major divisions between plants, particularly about the details of plant anatomy and reproduction. Students will be able to :Identify the major evolutionary innovations that separate plant divisions, and classify plants as belonging to one of those divisions based on phenotypic differences in plants. Classify plants by their pollen dispersal methods using pollen dispersal mapping, and justify the location of a _„ƒcrime scene_„Ž using map analysis. Analyze and present their analysis of banding patterns from DNA fingerprinting done using plants in a forensic context.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Walking through the produce section at the grocery store, you are likely to find tomatoes of all shapes, sizes, and colors. One variety may be large and oblong with a hint of bitter flavor while another will have small, sweet fruits. This variance is primarily the result of genetic and chemical properties of the different varieties. But it turns out, environment also plays a role. A team of Italian scientists has shown that the molecular properties of tomatoes are strongly influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and moisture. And changing these factors can, in turn, have pronounced effects on the physical and culinary qualities of the fruits – an important finding considering the pace of current climate change. To tease apart the interaction between genetics, environment, and organoleptic traits, the research team grew three tomato varieties in two different locations. This exposed the plants to varying levels of moisture, soil acidity, and temperature, among other conditions..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

La lezione fa parte di una unità formativa di apprendimento pensata per una classe prima della scuola primaria. L’unità didattica vuole rispondere a bisogni di alfabetizzazione cognitiva e di apprendimento. L’insegnante traccia un piano di massima dell’intera unità, pensando: all’articolazione dell’unità formativa, ai concetti da insegnare, alle abilità connesse da far apprendere in termini di competenze. In base a queste premesse, avvia la ricerca del materiale da far utilizzare; la scelta sarà guidata dalla necessità di trovare materiale che ben si adatta ai  saperi e alle abilità da insegnare oltre che al livello di scolarità.L’intento di questo percorso formativo è quello di far vivere praticamente l’esperienza delle varie fasi della nascita di una pianta e che per crescere ha bisogno di determinate condizioni climatiche e ambientali, dell’importanza dell’acqua e come una di queste condizioni possa modificare la normale crescita e il regolare sviluppo della stessa.