Scent marking plays a crucial role in lion territorial behavior as it helps them communicate and establish their territory boundaries to other lions. By depositing scent through urine, feces, and rubbing against objects, lions can effectively mark their territory, which helps in avoiding conflicts with neighboring prides and minimizing physical confrontations. This behavior also helps in attracting potential mates, maintaining social hierarchies within the pride, and providing information about the lion's identity, reproductive status, and health to other pride members. Ultimately, scent marking is essential for maintaining the social structure and stability within lion populations.