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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for plant collecting
   • Confirm the purpose and objectives for collecting a range of plants
   • Define the area, location and habitat for collecting
   • Determine and prepare resources to assist in locating and identifying plants
   • Determine and prepare equipment required for collecting and preserving specimens
   • Obtain licences or permission to collect specimens from landowner or managing agency
   • Assess the range of likely operating conditions, hazards and difficult or sensitive environments for impact on collecting and preserving specimens
   • Identify work health and safety hazards associated with plant collecting, assess risks and implement controls
2. Collect plant specimens
   • Observe collecting ethics when selecting specimens for picking
   • Enter into a field note book relevant information about the specimen, its characteristics and occurrence and note location coordinates
   • Confirm the specimen collected provides adequate material for identification and preserving
   • Tag and store specimens for later identification
   • Follow appropriate work health and safety requirements and work practices
3. Preserve specimens
   • Preserve specimen while still fresh
   • Clean and prepare specimen for preserving
   • Preserve specimen using either pressing or drying techniques
   • Mount dried specimen and label with information from notebook
4. Identify plant specimen
   • Use the relevant plant key to identify plant
   • Identify and document the basic characteristics of a plant
   • Confirm plant identity against botanical description of species
   • Document plant identity on label

Range Statement

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Performance Evidence

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

prepare for plant collecting

note the location, characteristics and occurrence of specimens at the point of collection

clean, preserve, mount and label specimens

use a plant key to identify plants against the botanical description of the species

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

principles and practices of plant classification

herbarium collection techniques and ethics

physical and biological habitat types including vegetation associations and communities where appropriate

plant anatomy, physiology, morphology, taxonomy and nomenclature

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