Damage to trees by game animals is regarded as one of the biggest problems facing mountain forests. But deer and chamois don't deserve their reputation for "vandalism". This is the conclusion of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), who, with funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, have investigated the impact of game animals on forest development and the survival of the silver fir. Damage by game animals is just one of many factors that affect forest stand regeneration and species composition. At least equally important are competition among plants, the weather, the effects of mice and land-use history. The researchers' results shed new light on established views on the role of forest ungulates.