Forensic Botany: Principles and Applications to Criminal Casework

Heather Miller Coyle9780849315299, 0-8493-1529-8

Increasingly, forensic scientists use plant evidence to reconstruct crimes. The forensic aspects of this subject require an understanding of what is necessary for botanical evidence to be accepted as evidence in our judicial system. Bringing together the latest information into a single, easy to use resource, this book introduces the basic science underlying the emerging field of forensic botany. The contributors discuss recognition of pertinent plant evidence at a crime scene, appropriate collection and preservation of the material, maintenance of a chain of custody, and understanding scientific testing methods, validation of new forensic technique, and more.