Black Death 'rewilding' did not boost biodiversity, study suggests

The bubonic plague, which swept across Europe between 1347 and 1353, is estimated to have killed up to one half of the continent's population. The sudden loss of life led to the abandonment of farms, villages and fields, creating what researchers describe as a massive historical "rewilding" event. However, the devastation caused by the Black Death in medieval Europe may not have delivered the environmental benefits that could be assumed to follow large-scale human decline, according to new research.