When millions of people died in Europe during the Black Death, biodiversity suffered too, new research suggests. The findings suggest that human activities once promoted biodiversity in the landscape — and experts say we could use these findings to boost biodiversity in our modern agricultural landscapes.
The 14th century was a tumultuous time for the people of Europe. Persistent cold, wet weather at the beginning of the century led to widespread agricultural failures and unprecedented levels of starvation in what became known as the Great Famine from 1315 to 1317.
This was followed by the Black Death, an epidemic of bubonic plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis that killed more than a third of Europe's population. As a result of the widespread deaths and resultant social upheaval, large swaths of agricultural land were abandoned. Population levels didn't begin to recover until the 16th century.
The Black Death ...
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