Diversitas Flora Kampus sebagai Sumber Belajar Struktur dan Perkembangan Tumbuhan: Inventarisasi di Universitas Nias

Abstract

The limited use of the surrounding environment as a learning resource in botany instruction leads to low levels of students’ direct experience in observing plant diversity, which contributes to weak understanding of morphological concepts and the phenomenon of plant blindness. This study aims to inventory plant diversity within the environment of Universitas Nias and to identify its potential as practicum material and a learning resource for the course Plant Structure and Development. The research employed a descriptive exploratory design with a field survey approach using an exploration method. Data were collected through direct observation, documentation, and species identification based on morphological characteristics and taxonomic literature. The results revealed 14 plant species belonging to 14 genera and 12 families, dominated by the Angiosperms group, including the classes Liliopsida and Magnoliopsida. The variation in growth forms—herbs, shrubs, subshrubs, and trees—indicates a sufficiently representative morphological diversity for practicum activities. Significantly, these findings demonstrate that the campus environment holds strong potential as a contextual learning resource capable of supporting experience-based learning. This study highlights that integrating local flora into instruction can enhance the relevance of learning materials and strengthen students’ understanding of plant structure and development in a more applied manner.