Forensic Botanist

In a site of investigation any plant that comes into contact with human remains can be of value for indicating time of year, time of death or previous locations. Broken branches and plant material beneath the body is relevant and may be interpreted by the forensic botanist.

Plants naturally move and have ways of attaching themselves to many surfaces.  Plant seasonality and life cycles can give an indication of time and the layers of leaf fall and layering may be particularly useful at this time of year. Much additional information can be gained from the relationship between plants and fungi if interpreted by a properly qualified botanist or forensic ecologist (Haglund and Sorg, 1997).

Highly specialised areas of botany include “mycology” the study of fungi, and “palynology” the study of pollen grains and spores.   To find out more about this specialist area, read our article on forensic palynology.