The burial of a body can affect plant communities through mechanical disturbance and nutrient balance alteration. We performed an experimental trial using five swine carcasses buried in an open site in Italy. Vegetation dynamics was monitored recording monthly every plant individual on a regular sampling grid during 1 year on the graves, on an empty control grave, and on an undisturbed plot. Plant species composition and cover were significantly different between the disturbed and the undisturbed plots. Disturbed plots showed the increase in ruderal species and the reduction in stress-tolerant ones. Graves and the control grave could not be distinguished from each other. Disturbance was the main factor affecting plant cover, while the presence of a buried body did not affect vegetation dynamics. However, disturbance could be easily detected; the functional approach seems promising for the identification of dynamic patterns to be used in different biogeographic and ecological contexts

Vegetation dynamics as a tool for detecting clandestine graves / M.S. Caccianiga, S. Bottacin, C. Cattaneo. - In: JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES. - ISSN 0022-1198. - 57:4(2012), pp. 983-988.

Vegetation dynamics as a tool for detecting clandestine graves

M.S. Caccianiga
Primo
;
C. Cattaneo
Ultimo
2012

Abstract

The burial of a body can affect plant communities through mechanical disturbance and nutrient balance alteration. We performed an experimental trial using five swine carcasses buried in an open site in Italy. Vegetation dynamics was monitored recording monthly every plant individual on a regular sampling grid during 1 year on the graves, on an empty control grave, and on an undisturbed plot. Plant species composition and cover were significantly different between the disturbed and the undisturbed plots. Disturbed plots showed the increase in ruderal species and the reduction in stress-tolerant ones. Graves and the control grave could not be distinguished from each other. Disturbance was the main factor affecting plant cover, while the presence of a buried body did not affect vegetation dynamics. However, disturbance could be easily detected; the functional approach seems promising for the identification of dynamic patterns to be used in different biogeographic and ecological contexts
Carcass burial; Clandestine graves; CSR theory; Forensic botany; Forensic science; Plant succession
Settore MED/43 - Medicina Legale
2012
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/171375
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