Application of Natural Science Methods in The Field Study of Plants
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Keywords:
natural-science methods, field research, botany, vegetation, herbarium, anatomical-morphological analysis, research competence.Abstract
The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the scientific, methodological, and pedagogical foundations of applying natural-science methods in the field study of plants. The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of these methods in investigating the morphological, anatomical, and ecological characteristics of plants under natural conditions, and to reveal their role in developing students‘ scientific thinking, research skills, and ecological culture. The research was conducted on the flora of Turkistan city within the framework of the ―Botany‖ course, employing a set of scientific approaches such as observation, geobotanical description, herbarium collection, anatomical-morphological analysis, and GIS-based cartographic mapping. The integration of GIS technologies made it possible to quantitatively describe the spatial distribution patterns of plants, structural features of species diversity, and the influence of urbanization, as well as to visualize the spatial organization of plant communities. The results made it possible to identify the levels of ecological adaptation, biological stability, and interactions between plants and abiotic factors. The collected data enhanced students‘ practical experience and improved their empirical observation, quantitative data analysis, and scientific reasoning skills. The authors conclude that the use of natural-science methods in field practice strengthens the research-based paradigm of biology education and serves as an effective model for integrating theory and practice while fostering the professional competence of future biologists.
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