Long-term effects of elevated ungulate populations (deer, chamois, roe deer) on stand regeneration, soil quality, and tree nutrition have been assessed at four forested sites in the Bavarian Alps with calcareous soils. The sites comprise steep (25-30°) slopes with different aspect, which are loosely stocked with mature mixed mountain forest, mainly consisting of Norway spruce (Picea abies), European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Silver fir (Abies alba), and Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). At each site, two 220 mē rectangular plots, located inside and outside 25-30 year-old exclosures were compared. On the plots outside the exclusions, natural forest regeneration and particularly sapling growth were strongly impeded by heavy ungulate browsing, and the ground vegetation is dominated by grasses. Inside the exclosures, the natural regeneration has developed well, and effectively reduces soil erosion by snowslide. Due to reduced topsoil erosion and increased litter input, the forest floor of the soils inside the exclosures has higher organic C pools than that outside the exclosures. Moreover, the N concentration is increased, and the C/N ratio is lower. Additionally, the carbonate content in the forest floor is strongly reduced, resulting in an increased availability of P, Mn, Cu, Fe, and B to the trees. Consequently, Norway spruce saplings inside the exclosures are characterized by a superior nutritional status compared to the saplings of equal size outside the exclosures. In summary, 25 to 30 years of strongly reduced ungulate impact has resulted in (i) reduced topsoil erosion, (ii) a significant change of the chemical status of the topsoil, and (iii) an improved nutritional status of the natural forest regeneration.