The US Botanical Capacity Assessment Project (BCAP) was initiated as a first step to gauge the nation's collective ability to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century. The project, in which the authors of this article are involved, specifically aimed to identify multisector contributions to and gaps in botanical capacity in order to…

Described is a student exercise demonstrating plant biorhythms in Albizzia julibrissin. Initial preparation and methods for conducting the exercise are explained, and sample data graphs are included. (CS)

Explains the procedures used in a general botany course to obtain polarization, fluorescence, and dark field images using a standard student microscope. Provides sources for materials and references. (JM)

Stereology is the study of three-dimensional objects through the interpretation of two-dimensional images. Stereological techniques used in introductory botany to quantitatively examine changes in leaf anatomy in response to different environments are discussed. (JN)