Black Death caused collapse in plant diversity across Europe, study shows

Live Science, UA.NEWS, and cristinaiglesias.com all report that researchers have uncovered a dramatic fall in plant biodiversity across Europe during the Black Death. Live Science and UA.NEWS both note that the drop in diversity occurred when humans abandoned farmland after the pandemic wiped out one third of the European population. cristinaiglesias.com reports that plant diversity specifically collapsed by 40 percent across the continent. [1][3][4]

According to Live Science, understanding the specific farming practices used before the pandemic could help modern agriculture increase species diversity today. Archaeology News Online Magazine provided additional context on medieval animal populations, reporting that rabbits were considered a royal luxury in England until the demographic shifts of the Black Death made them commonplace. [1][2]

The Black Death was a major plague pandemic caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which occurred in Europe between 1346 and 1353. Transmission occurred primarily through the bites of infected fleas carried by black rats, although human lice may have also contributed to its rapid spread. The disease killed up to 50 million people, representing roughly 30 to 60 percent of the European population. [5][6]

The pandemic initially arrived in Europe in 1347 by way of Genoese trading ships traveling from the Crimean port of Kaffa. It quickly spread through Mediterranean ports to Sicily, Genoa, and Marseille before moving inland along rivers and roads. [6]