Italy's Ancient Oaks Tell a Secret

Two oak forests in Italy are far apart. One is on Montecristo Island. The other is in the Aspromonte mountains. They look different. But they share a secret. Many old trees started growing at the same time.

Scientists used radiocarbon dating to check tree ages. They found many oaks grew between 1400 and 1650. This was after the Black Death. The plague killed many people in Europe. Fewer people meant less cutting of wood. Forests grew back without human help.

The forests recovered in different ways. Montecristo has warm weather. Trees grew there very fast. Aspromonte is cold and rocky. Trees grew there more slowly. Yet, the same growth happened in both. This shows the plague changed everything. Nature healed itself even in hard places.