Ecological considerations may mean that certain areas will be judged exempt from harvesting. After years of working in forestry, he has the experience to make quick assessments. However, he admits, occasionally areas are difficult to judge. In these situations, he might confer with other experienced planners over his mobile phone or simply walk away to return later for a fresh look. 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.