Reading Pastoral Landscape
Herbarium-Based Field Studies in Pastoral Landscapes
Teaching format:
This course uses herbarium as a field method to document plant species along grazing routes, linking vegetation patterns with pastoral practices and ecological processes.
Course description:
This course introduces herbarium as a field-based method to study pastoral landscapes through vegetation analysis and ecological observation. Moving beyond conventional botanical classification, herbarium is used to understand how grazing practices, animal movement and environmental conditions shape plant communities over time. Students collect and document plant species along grazing routes and seasonal pastures, focusing on the relationship between vegetation and livestock behavior. Through this process, herbarium becomes a tool to trace ecological patterns, species distribution and landscape transformation within pastoral systems. Combined with mapping and ethnographic observation, the course explores how traditional ecological knowledge aligns with scientific methods. The aim is to develop a field-based understanding of pastoral landscapes as dynamic systems shaped by plants, animals and human practices.
Course Outputs:
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A field-based herbarium collection documenting plant species along grazing routes and seasonal pastures
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A catalogued plant archive including species identification, location, altitude and ecological context
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A grazing–vegetation analysis identifying plant species preferred or avoided by livestock
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Cartographic maps linking plant distribution with grazing patterns and landscape conditions
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A field notebook / research diary combining sketches, observations and ethnographic notes
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A herbarium atlas integrating plant samples, mapping and ecological interpretation
