When

Saturday, November 8th

Starting at 8:00 AM

Where

Trinity University

San Antonio, TX

Austin R. Kelly

Austin@ARKEcological.com

254-477-3213

Contest Overview

The Plant ID contest is not based on a set list of species, but is rather a collection of common species important to ecological restoration across Texas. These can be from any Texas ecoregion and may include beneficial native or harmful invasive species. The format may include live specimens, herbarium mounts, clippings, seeds, or digital images. The contest is held annually in conjunction with the Texas Society for Ecological Restoration’s fall conference.

Team Competition

• Participation: There is no limit to the number of students an institution can enter. All participants are eligible for individual awards.
• Scoring: The final team score will be calculated by taking the sum of the top three (3) highest individual scores from that institution. The calculation will include the top three scores regardless of the students’ academic level (undergraduate or graduate).

Answering & Scoring

• Name Requirement: Only the species name is required. You can use either scientific (genus and specific epithet) or common names; however, priority in ties will be given to those using Latin names.
• Scoring: Correct species names will receive full credit (10 points), and half credit (5 points) may be given for the correct genus. Antiquated scientific synonyms will be accepted (e.g., Panicum obtosum and Hopia obtusa will both receive full credit). To receive 5 points for a genus, contestants may write the genus name alone (e.g., “Bouteloua“).
• Common Names: Common names may be used; however, for any common name to be considered correct, it requires a unanimous consensus of the judges that the name is widely accepted and unambiguous (thus, we recommend you use scientific names).
• Partial Credit Example: Half credit may apply to common names (e.g., stating ‘Blue Grama’ for a specimen of Bouteloua hirsuta will give 5 points, as this correctly identifies the plant as a member of the Bouteloua genus).

Judging & Contest Procedures

• Spelling & Judging Consensus: Answers do not require perfect spelling to be marked correct, but they must be clearly recognizable. Acceptance of any misspelled answer, as well as all decisions regarding the validity of common names for both full and partial credit, requires a unanimous consensus from the judging panel.
• Tie-Breaker: In the event of a tie that cannot be broken by the number of scientific names used, the tied contestants will participate in a ‘sudden death’ round with additional specimens to determine the winner.
• Time Limit: The time limit for the contest will be determined by the number of specimens, with contestants allotted one minute per specimen (e.g., a 60-specimen contest will have a 60-minute time limit).
• External Aids & Conduct: The use of field guides, notes, mobile phones, or any other external aids is strictly prohibited. The contest must be completed in a single, continuous session; contestants who leave the contest area may not be permitted to return to finish.
• Contest Integrity: To ensure a fair competition, members of the same team will not be positioned near each other during the contest. All communication between contestants is strictly prohibited until all answer sheets have been submitted.
• Legibility: Answers must be written legibly. Any answer deemed unreadable by the judges will be marked incorrect.
• Answer Changes: Any changes to an answer must be made by clearly erasing or crossing out the old answer and writing the new one. Graded answer sheets may not be altered.
• Specimen Handling: For the preservation of the contest materials, contestants are prohibited from touching, handling, or otherwise physically manipulating any specimen unless explicitly permitted by a judge.
• Finality of Decisions: The decisions and scoring of the judging panel are final.