Botany as a Career
Learn about a career in Botany.
What is Botany?
Botany is the scientific study of plants. It includes studying their habits, distribution, form, chemistry, heredity, and interactions with other living things and the environment. Research in this field of biology helps improve our medicines, foods, fibers, building materials, and environmental conditions.
What Do Botanists Do?
Many occupational specialties are related to the biology of plants. Here are some examples:
- Agronomy is the study of crop and soil sciences to improve the yields of foods and fibers.
- Biochemistry or phytochemistry is the study of the chemical aspects of plant life processes, including possibly useful chemicals produced by plants.
- Biotechnology is the study of genetic modification of plants to develop useful products.
- Biophysics is the study of the application of the principles of physics to plant life processes.
- Cytology is the study of plant cells, structure, function, and development.
- Ecology is the relationship between plants and the world in which they live. Systems ecology uses mathematical models to demonstrate concepts like nutrient cycling.
- Food science and technology is the study of plants leading to the development of new or improved food products from plants.
- Forestry is the study of trees as a crop, their cultivation, and long term management.
- Genetics is the study of plant genes, plant heredity, and genetic variation and function.
- Horticulture is the study of the application of plant sciences toward the production of ornamental plants and fruits and vegetables.
- Plant Pathology is the study of diseases of plants, including disease management and control.
- Physiology is the study of plant functions and vital processes of plants, such as photosynthesis and mineral nutrition.
- Systematics is the study of plant evolution, how plants have developed into different species, and how different types of plants are related to each other. It has the following subdisciplines:
Taxonomy—the study of plant habits and forms to identify and classify plant groups.
Chemotaxonomy—the study of chemicals produced by plants as an aid to classifying them.
Field botany—identification and study of plants in their natural habitats, including ecological studies, and the subdiscipline exploration—the search for new, undiscovered species.
Morphology—study of general plant forms to determine the evolution and development of leaves, roots, and stems.
Paleobotany—study of plant fossil records to reveal early plant evolution and classify plant groups.
Some botanists combine the specialties of ecology and systematics to study particular types of plants. For example:
- Bryology is the study of mosses and similar plants.
- Lichenology is the study of the biology of lichens, organisms made up of a fungus and an alga.
- Mycology is the study of fungi which are important producers of biological products such as vitamins and antibiotics.
- Phycology is the study of algae, including the subdiscipline of studying marine algae ( marine botany )
- Pteridology is the study of ferns and similar plants.
Where Do Botanists Work?
Educational institutions employ botanists in research positions or in administrative posts. Federal and state agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the National Arboretum or the U.S. Forest Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Agriculture and Consumer Services, and others employ botanists in many different areas. Trained botanists also work in pharmaceutical companies, the petrochemical industry, the lumber and paper industries, seed and nursery companies, biological supply houses, and biotechnology firms.
Education
A bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement for positions such as laboratory technicians, technical assistants in education, industry, government, museums, parks, and botanical gardens. Other positions require a master's or doctorate. A Ph.D. is required for most teaching and research positions in colleges and universities.
Employment and Salary Outlook
In the 1990s beginning botanists with a bachelor's degree earned between $19,700 and $21,200 a year. Those with a master's or doctorate may begin at $25,000 to $30,000, depending on the specialty. The average salary of those employed with the state and federal government varied depending on the level of education and experience, the responsibilities of the position, and the geographical location.
Job availability is generally good. Employment opportunities vary over time, depending partly on the status of state and national economies. Challenging positions will be available for well-trained plant scientists.
Sources
The Botanical Society of America, "Careers in Botany," Department of Botany, Ohio State University, 1735 Nell Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210.
Hopke, William E., The Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance. Ninth Edition, Volume 1.
