Deterring frugivores, sparing pollinators: Reflective tapes as a selective mistletoe management tool in urban trees
- 1Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2373223, Chile
- 2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, 68040-255, Brazil; Parasitic Plants Research Group, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, 45031-900, Brazil
Abstract
Urban green spaces are important reservoirs of biodiversity, yet urban host trees are increasingly affected by mistletoe infestations. Because most mistletoes depend entirely on animal vectors for pollination and seed dispersal, interventions targeting these vectors offer a potential management approach. Reflective tapes are a nonlethal bird deterrent widely used in agriculture but have not been tested in urban forestry nor against mistletoe reproduction. We experimentally tested whether reflective tape deterrents reduce pollination and frugivory of the hemiparasitic mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus on urban host trees in central Chile. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact design at three sites (n = 30 plants), we monitored visitation by the hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes ; frugivory was assessed with a parallel-groups design at two sites (n = 19) during the fruiting period. Reflective tapes had no detectable effect on hummingbird visitation rate or fruit set, while flower number was a significant positive predictor of pollinator visits. In contrast, tapes significantly reduced total perching events, fruit consumption events, and feces containing seeds – a direct measure of ingestion – although cumulative seed counts on host plants, which are not exclusive to bird-mediated dispersal, were unaffected. These results suggest that reflective tapes disrupt frugivory without a detectable effect on pollination, making them a promising low-cost (USD 0.19 per plant), non-invasive tool for urban mistletoe management. Because tapes did not reduce seed deposition on host branches and new infections were not measured, they should be viewed as a complement to pruning rather than a substitute, prioritizing high-fruit-load mistletoes acting as primary seed sources.
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BibTeX
@article{vergara2026deterring,
title = {{Deterring frugivores, sparing pollinators: Reflective tapes as a selective mistletoe management tool in urban trees}},
author = {Matías A. Vergara and Gustavo Rodrigues and Juan Pablo Núñez and Yerco Contreras and Andrei Cariaga and Rodrigo F. Fadini and Francisco E. Fontúrbel},
journal = {Trees, Forests and People},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101531},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101531},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Deterring frugivores, sparing pollinators: Reflective tapes as a selective mistletoe management tool in urban trees
AU - Matías A. Vergara
AU - Gustavo Rodrigues
AU - Juan Pablo Núñez
AU - Yerco Contreras
AU - Andrei Cariaga
AU - Rodrigo F. Fadini
AU - Francisco E. Fontúrbel
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Trees, Forests and People
DO - 10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101531
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101531
AB - Urban green spaces are important reservoirs of biodiversity, yet urban host trees are increasingly affected by mistletoe infestations. Because most mistletoes depend entirely on animal vectors for pollination and seed dispersal, interventions targeting these vectors offer a potential management approach. Reflective tapes are a nonlethal bird deterrent widely used in agriculture but have not been tested in urban forestry nor against mistletoe reproduction. We experimentally tested whether reflective tape deterrents reduce pollination and frugivory of the hemiparasitic mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus on urban host trees in central Chile. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact design at three sites (n = 30 plants), we monitored visitation by the hummingbird Sephanoides sephaniodes ; frugivory was assessed with a parallel-groups design at two sites (n = 19) during the fruiting period. Reflective tapes had no detectable effect on hummingbird visitation rate or fruit set, while flower number was a significant positive predictor of pollinator visits. In contrast, tapes significantly reduced total perching events, fruit consumption events, and feces containing seeds – a direct measure of ingestion – although cumulative seed counts on host plants, which are not exclusive to bird-mediated dispersal, were unaffected. These results suggest that reflective tapes disrupt frugivory without a detectable effect on pollination, making them a promising low-cost (USD 0.19 per plant), non-invasive tool for urban mistletoe management. Because tapes did not reduce seed deposition on host branches and new infections were not measured, they should be viewed as a complement to pruning rather than a substitute, prioritizing high-fruit-load mistletoes acting as primary seed sources.
SN - 2666-7193
ER -