A natural forest manages itself. Trees die and new trees grow. This includes copying the effects of natural disturbances, but also preserving and protecting areas which have long been spared from fire. These fire refuges feature their own form of internal stand dynamics. Old trees die, fall to the ground, and decay.
Regeneration takes place in the gaps that occur when old trees fall.
Areas that have not burned for long periods are therefore largely stable and biologically diverse. The present Swedish forest landscape is so influenced by humankind that simply protecting individual areas is insufficient. In order to preserve biological diversity, the natural processes and structures of the landscape must be preserved or recreated. This demands planning on a larger scale and over a longer time period. Its overall goal is sustained biological diversity in the landscape.