Forensic Botany: Principles and Applications to Criminal Casework

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 in our judicial system. Bringing together the latest information into a single resource, Forensic Botany: Principles and Applications to Criminal

Table of Contents:
Introduction. Basic Plant Biology. Plant Cell Structure and Function. Modes of Plant Reproduction. DNA Structure and Function. Plant Diversity. The Use of Biological and Botanical Evidence in Criminal Investigations. An Overview of Historical Developments in Forensic DNA Analysis. DNA and the Identification of Plant Species from Stomach Contents. Plant Identification by DNA. Case Applications of Forensic Botany. Tracking Clonally Propagated Marijuana Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) Analysis. Legal Considerations for Acceptance of New Forensic Methods in Court. Forensic Palynology. Classical and Future DNA Typing Technologies for Plants. Appendix 1: Considerations for the Use of Forensic Botanical Evidence: An Overview. Appendix 2: Glossary of Terms. Appendix 3: Directory of Contacts. Appendix 4: Biographies.

Review :
"…very well written and informative, providing the reader with an excellent and concise introduction to plant biology, plant genetics, plant identification procedures, and the application of botanical evidence in criminal cases. All forensic scientists will enjoy reading the fascinating case examples highlighting the use botanical evidence. Scientists in forensic DNA typing analysis and trace evidence examination will value this book as an excellent reference text." -Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Peter Bilous, M.Sc., Ph.D. "This book provides an essential introduction to the field, to all those who have an interest in scenes of crime investigation as well as forensic pathologists … . [W]ell written … easy to read … [and] thought provoking. It is not often that one is introduced to a whole new area of forensic practice, and not have the slightest idea what it entails. With the benefit of this fairly unique book, no on need be in that position when his exciting field of forensic botany takes off." - www.forensicmed.co.uk "Good reference text on biology and its relationship to forensic science. Good illustrations, easy to read." -Journal of the American Association of Forensic Dentists "Coyle is a bone fide plant biologist having received a Ph.D, in plant biology from the University of New Hampshire … . She does a good job of making sure to direct her botanical summaries to forensics. Her descriptions of using plants as crime scene evidence are almost reminiscent of ethnobotanical descriptions. Coyle et al. keep us interested in their descriptions by not just explaining techniques but providing a variety of high-quality, pertinent examples to show how these techniques have been used in the past. The appendix, Considerations for the Use of Forensic Botanical Evidence: An Overview, is an excellent resource … . I like Coyle’s book and it would make an excellent addition to a forensic biologist’s library." — Alfredo Gomez-Beloz, Center for World Indigenous Studies, Olympia, WA in Economic Botany 61(2) 2007 "Forensic Botany: Principles and Applications to Criminal Casework is packed with details – details that forensic scientists must note and perhaps use in their crime scene investigations." – David M. Jarzen, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, in AASP Newsletter, June 2007, Vol. 40, No. 2