Olfactory misinformation provides refuge to palatable plants from mammalian browsing

Abstract

Mammalian herbivores browse palatable plants of ecological and economical value. Undesirable neighbours can reduce browsing to these plants by providing ‘associational refuge’, but they can also compete for resources. Here, we recreated the informative odour emitted by undesirable plants. We then tested whether this odour could act as virtual neighbours, providing browsing refuge to palatable tree seedlings. We found that protection using this misinformation tactic was equivalent to that provided by real plants. Palatable seedlings were 17-20 times more likely to be eaten by herbivores without virtual, or real, neighbours. As many herbivores use plant odour to forage, virtual neighbours could provide a novel practical management approach to help protect valued plants.