Sheep feeding preference as a tool to control pine invasion in Patagonia: influence of foliar toughness, terpenoids and resin content.

Herbivores modulate the structure and composition of plant communities, including plant invasions. This is conditioned by plant palatability which can be reduced by its chemical or physical traits. The effects that ungulates browsing has on pine invasions are variable and the empirical evidence on the causes of this variability is scarce.