Replicating abilities? Well...I don't know about that. As far as I've gone in the series, Odo hasn't shifted into one of the species with unusual abilities. As a bird he can fly, as a plant he can photosynthesize, but I'm not sure about telepathy or summoning giant soul-scythes. I didn't plan on doing that. If I had to give an answer, I'd say it all depends on how well he can shift into that creature. If there's a plant that reacts to magic (for example, the trees in [i]The Amber Spyglass[/i] that pollinate through Dust) I think it wouldn't be too hard, but shifting into the telepathic Betazoids...no.