Overview
- The peer-reviewed study in Ecology Letters synthesizes more than 100 fossil pollen records spanning diverse European regions.
- Plant diversity increased through the High Middle Ages, then declined for roughly 150 years following the 1347–1353 pandemic.
- Biodiversity rebounded only as human populations recovered and agriculture resumed, taking about 300 years to near pre-plague levels.
- Diversity fell most where fields were abandoned and forests spread, while areas with continued low-intensity farming saw comparative gains.
- The authors advocate protecting low-intensity, patchwork landscapes, highlighting dehesas and montados, Alpine pastures, and Hungary’s tanya as effective models.