Credentials in Botany demonstrate a thorough understanding of plant structure, function, and classification as well as how plants are impacted by humans and how humans can use plants and plant products. Entry-level botanists must have earned at least a bachelor’s degree. Higher-level botany professionals generally require a higher degree, such as a master’s degree or Ph.D. Educational institutions higher botanists as teachers or researchers and their assistants. Botanists may specialize in plant anatomy, biochemistry, biophysics, cytology, ecology, genetics, molecular biology, morphology, paleobotany, plant physiology, systematic, systems ecology, or taxonomy. They may also work in fields such as agronomy, biotechnology, plant breeding, economic botany, food science and technology, forestry, horticulture, natural resource management, and plant pathology. Botanists may also specialize in the type of organism they study. Specifically, this badge demonstrates the earner's ability to describe seedless vascular plants in terms of distinguishing characteristics of members, differences in life cycles, structural features, important uses, and related terms , describe seed plants in terms of differences from other plants, classification, distinguishing features of members, general life cycle, structures, functions, uses, and related terms , describe angiosperms in terms of differences from other plants, life cycle, structure and function, pollination strategies, specialization, and related terms , describe flowering plants and cultivation, including regions of cultivation, characteristics of flowering plant families, structure and function, and related terms , describe the relationships among populations, communities, and ecosystems including roles of different plants and animals, energy flow, the nitrogen and carbon cycles, primary and secondary succession, eutrophication, and adverse effect of human behavior , describe the major biomes of the world including the characteristics and living members of each , describe the major biomes of the world including the characteristics and living members of each.
