David M. Johnson

Allen Trimble Professor
of Botany/Microbiology

Ph.D. and M.S. University of Michigan

B.A. Hendrix College

 

Office: Rm. 239, CWSC

Phone: (740) 368-3505

E-mail address: dmjohnso@owu.edu

Links to Courses and Related Facilities:

Practical Botany

Environmental Plant Biology

Biodiversity of Flowering Plants

Cytogenetics

Biology of the Fungi

Tropical Biology

Adaptive Biology of Plants

The Jason Swallen Herbarium

Nature Preserves

OWU Greenhouse

Dr. Johnson teaches Practical Botany (BOMI 103), Environmental Plant Biology (BOMI 110), Biodiversity of Flowering Plants (BOMI 252), Cytogenetics (BOMI 275), Tropical Biology (BOMI 300.5), and Adaptive Biology of Plants (BOMI 337).

Biodiversity and evolution of tropical trees and ferns are the focus of Dr. Johnson's research program. Documenting the rich biodiversity of tropical forests has taken him to twelve tropical American countries, two African countries and southeast Asia to collect and study plants. He has described over 30 species of plants new to science and has written collaborative articles for publication with colleagues from Brazil, Colombia, England, Mexico, Tanzania, Taiwan, Thailand and the U.S. His research has synthesized a wide range of data - from morphological to molecular - in order to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships of plants. He has been awarded two Fulbright grants. Student research supervised by Dr. Johnson has taken place in the field (including Guatemala, Brazil and Tanzania), the lab, and in front of the computer screen. He is Director of The Jason Swallen Herbarium, the plant museum collection at Ohio Wesleyan and regularly works with students at the University's two nearby nature preserves.