Who is a Botanist?
A Botanist is particularly known to be a scientist who has specialized in the field of science which we call Botany. It is the branch of biology where our focus is on the study of plant life. Botany is a word that has been derived from an ancient Greek word βοτάνη which means grass, fodder, or pasture. In the past, Botany also included the study of algae and fungi. But at present, botanists are considered to be the scientists who are studying the following;
- 20,000 bryophytes.
- 391,000 species of vascular plants that include 369,000 flowering plant species thereby totaling up to 410,000 land plant species.
Why choose Botany?
Now comes a very common yet important question that everyone has in mind, why choose botany? As we all know that plants are quite diverse and all the scientists studying plants know that there are hundreds and thousands of species of plants on this earth. And to be able to study them, some botanists try to earn a Ph.D. while others may earn a bachelor’s degree and find a suitable career for themselves in this field. Similarly, if you choose to start a career in this field then know that you have endless opportunities ahead of you. You can either work in a tropical forest or even on a farm. Moreover, you can play your part in searching for new medicines or even advance the frontiers in studying cellular and molecular plant processes. In short, if you choose botany then know that there is a wide range of opportunities to take.
Botany Market Size:
In the year 2020, the global botanical ingredients market size was found to be USD 144.38 billion.
Botanist Salary Range:
As of February 2022, the average annual salary of a Botanist was found to be $70,649. But know that this range typically falls between $58,355 and $87,198. So you can say that the salary range of a botanist lies between these figures. And the salary range depends on various factors like education, additional skills, certification, and work experience.
How to become a Botanist?
If you want to become a Botanist, then the first step towards this is getting an undergraduate degree in botany. If for any reason you don’t wish to earn a degree in botany then there are other options as well like plant science, ecology, and conservation biology.
Apart from that, some organizations also accept degrees in other relevant fields like environmental science, natural resource management, horticulture, or even forestry. But in the end, it also depends on your skills and how well you perform.
After a bachelor’s degree, you can also get a master’s degree as well as some jobs prefer that. Similarly, if you want to go into academic research or teaching then the best way to do that is to get a PhD. And lastly, a lot of real-life experience can greatly increase your chances of landing a job. So all you have to do is be persistent in achieving what you want.
Career in Botany - Requirements:
As we have just mentioned earlier, becoming a botanist demands a degree in the relevant field as a starting point. And while getting into these courses, you need to have a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. With that, some prerequisite subjects are normally required like;
- English
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Environmental Sciences
- Physics
Not all universities have the same prerequisites, so you need to have full know-how of the requirements of whatever the university you choose.
Here are some Botany degrees and courses to be considered;
- Beginners Botany | Ecology Training UK | Online (Self-study course)
- Biological Recording and Ecological Monitoring | Manchester Metropolitan University | Shrewsbury, England (Masters)
- Applied Ecology | SUNY – College of Environmental Science and Forestry | New York City, USA (Masters)
- Ethnobotany | University of Kent | Canterbury, UK (MSc)
- Biology: Systematics and Evolution | University of Zurich | Zurich, Switzerland (Masters)
- Tropical Forest Landscapes: Conservation, Restoration & Sustainable Use | Yale School of the Environment | Online (Postgraduate Certificate)
- Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants | University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh, UK (Postgraduate Diploma)
- Amazonian ABCs: Fundamentals of rainforest ecology in the Peruvian Amazon | Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon | Madre de Dios, Peru (Field course)
- Grass Identification | Ecology Training UK | Online (Self-study course)
Conclusion:
The above details are though short yet enough for any reader to understand what are the requirements to become a Botanist. So all you need to do is decide whether you want a career as a Botanist and then start your journey towards becoming one.
