U.S.SCIENCE

Black Death had dramatic effect on species diversity as humans…

Researchers say a third of Europe's people died, and the farmland they left behind reshaped wildlife; the findings could inform how modern agriculture protects diversity.

On air: Hank Ledger, Gloria Vance and Chip Darnell on Meet the Pressure
Published 9:53 AM ET, Sunday, October 18, 2026

At a glance

First reported by Live Science: “Black Death had dramatic effect on species diversity as humans abandoned farmland, study finds”.
Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 9:53 AM ET on Meet the Pressure, by Hank Ledger, Gloria Vance and Chip Darnell.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Live ScienceBlack Death had dramatic effect on species diversity as humans abandoned farmland, study finds

What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA new study finds the Black Death changed European wildlife, because farmland that people abandoned went wild and biodiversity fell.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe plague wiped out a third of Europe's population. Researchers say the fields that emptied out changed what lived on and around them.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd the reason anyone cares is that understanding those old farming practices could help us increase diversity in modern agriculture.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorLand use shapes the living world, Chip. That was true in the fourteenth century, and it is true of the fields around us now.
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe data doesn't say which species gained or lost most, so we'll leave it there. The point is that farming left its mark.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorFair enough, Hank.