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Concept Taxonomy

The following taxonomy organizes the 288 concepts into 12 categories for visualization and navigation.

Categories

1. Foundation Concepts (FOUND)

Core definitions, botany fundamentals, and prerequisite knowledge that all other concepts build upon.

  • Concepts 1-10

2. Ecoregions and Geography (ECOR)

Minnesota's ecoregions, hardiness zones, soil types, and geographic context.

  • Concepts 11-20

3. Prairie Ecosystem (PRAI)

Prairie plants, grasses, wildflowers, fire ecology, and grassland ecosystem concepts.

  • Concepts 21-45

4. Woodland Ecosystem (WOOD)

Forest and woodland plants, trees, shrubs, spring ephemerals, and forest structure.

  • Concepts 46-69

5. Wetland Ecosystem (WETL)

Wetland, marsh, bog, and shoreline plants plus water management functions.

  • Concepts 70-86

6. Pollinators and Wildlife (POLL)

Pollinator species, wildlife habitat, bloom timing, and ecological relationships.

  • Concepts 87-103

7. Invasive Species (INVA)

Invasive species identification, impacts, removal methods, and management strategies.

  • Concepts 104-133

8. Plant Identification (PLID)

Skills and tools for identifying native and invasive plants in the field.

  • Concepts 134-144

9. Garden Design and Maintenance (GARD)

Site assessment, garden design, planting techniques, maintenance, and sourcing.

  • Concepts 145-186

10. Ecological Restoration (REST)

Restoration ecology principles, methods, monitoring, and adaptive management.

  • Concepts 187-206

11. Cultural and Indigenous Uses (CULT)

Ethnobotany, traditional plant knowledge, indigenous land management, and cultural significance.

  • Concepts 207-215

12. Minnesota Resources (MNRS)

State, county, city, university, and nonprofit programs and organizations.

  • Concepts 216-240

13. Systems Thinking (SYST)

Ecosystem interconnections, feedback loops, trophic cascades, and systems analysis.

  • Concepts 241-258

14. Critical Thinking and Misinformation (CRIT)

Evidence-based practices, misinformation detection, fact-checking, and logical reasoning.

  • Concepts 259-280

15. Capstone Projects (CAPS)

Culminating projects that synthesize multiple concept areas.

  • Concepts 281-288

Taxonomy Summary Table

TaxonomyID Category Name Concept Range
FOUND Foundation Concepts 1-10
ECOR Ecoregions and Geography 11-20
PRAI Prairie Ecosystem 21-45
WOOD Woodland Ecosystem 46-69
WETL Wetland Ecosystem 70-86
POLL Pollinators and Wildlife 87-103
INVA Invasive Species 104-133
PLID Plant Identification 134-144
GARD Garden Design and Maintenance 145-186
REST Ecological Restoration 187-206
CULT Cultural and Indigenous Uses 207-215
MNRS Minnesota Resources 216-240
SYST Systems Thinking 241-258
CRIT Critical Thinking 259-280
CAPS Capstone Projects 281-288