Between 1975 and 1990 Prof. K. Eiberle and various other co-authors working in different research fields at the FIT Zurich jointly developed a system for the assessment of game browsing, based on the proportion of saplings available for browsing. The browsing thresholds for several tree species were established. Where these limits were found to be exceeded over time and space, it meant that the most heavily browsed saplings died off and this in turn had an unfavourable effect on tree regeneration in the most sensitive areas of the mountain forests. The parameters measured were browsing intensity and the percentage of plants with two or more visible browsing marks. The loss in height increment induced by browsing was found to vary from species to species. Clear data were found for spruce, fir, mountain pine, larch, sycamore maple and ash, though the mean increment loss in the first individuals to die as a result of browsing was approximately equal in all tree species. It depends greatly on the local site conditions. Only few data on how far it does depend on various site conditions and degrees of canopy cover are available (5nr.sc/ze/, 1975; Sc/zreyer und 5n«,sc/z, 1978; Perko, 1983). Eiberle so modified the available values that the resulting browsing thresholds were valid for most of the mountain forests in Switzerland. The assessement of browsing damage through a browsing tally, such as that developed by Eiberle, can be more accurately quantified by means of a comprehensive survey of regeneration. Here, the actual regeneration is compared with the theoretical values. Through comparing fenced and non-fenced areas it is possible to assess the extent to which the failure to reach the theoretical regeneration values can be attributed to wildlife damage. In practical terms a large-scale tally of browsing damage such as that suggested by Eiberle is easier than an assessment of regeneration based on theoretical values for specific site types, yet the latter is to be preferred because it renders a more comprehensive picture of the ecological situation regarding wildlife damage and forest régénération.