Deer avoid young trees near lynx scent, reducing browsing and aiding forest recovery.

A study in the Journal of Applied Ecology found that deer avoid browsing on young trees when exposed to lynx scent, even without actual predation. Researchers in Germany tested lynx and wolf scents on saplings, using camera traps to show deer visited and browsed less in predator-scented areas, especially with lynx scent. The effect, likely due to deer’s innate fear of ambush predators, suggests predator scent alone can reduce browsing damage—a "landscape of fear" that could aid forest recovery. The findings support ongoing discussions about reintroducing lynx to parts of Britain, where overabundant deer hinder woodland regeneration, offering a natural, low-intervention conservation strategy despite concerns about livestock.