Effects of mono‐ and diterpenes in scots pine needles on moose browsing

We compared the degree of browsing by moose on 30 clones of Scots pine with the concentrations of mono‐ and diterpenes in their needles. The pine clones originated from 11 Swedish and one Norwegian locality within the latitudes 61–69° N. They were grown in a nursery in northern Sweden, close to 63° N, and were accidently exposed to moose during one winter. The relative amount of twig biomass removed differed significantly between clones. No statistically significant correlation was found between monoterpene concentrations in the needles and degree of moose browsing. For the diterpene pinifolic acid, however, there was a significant negative correlation.