ABSTRACT
What type of plant material are we dealing with? Where do the plants typically grow? Are the plants growing (a) all over, (b) in specific regions, or (c) in a specific area?
The digging of a grave disrupts the immediate botanical environment. When a botanical environment is disturbed, the first plant to return is a pioneer plant. These plants are not generally growing in the surrounding area. Forensic botanists may be able to determine how old a root is, especially if it is growing into the grave. The plant’s age will be as young as or younger than the grave. In this manner, a forensic botanist may use the botanical evidence to estimate the postmortem interval.
