Selective browsing behaviour of ungulates influences the growth of Abies alba differently depending on forest type

Because the main factor influencing the growth of Abies saplings was the amount of tissue loss on the leader shoots (bud vs. entire or large parts of leader shoots), browsing inventories neglecting to assess the within-tree browsing intensity are not recommended. The within-tree browsing intensity of leader shoots is a simple but objective measurement that should be used in forest regeneration inventories of Abies for improving estimates of the impact of ungulate browsing.