Framework / Assessment Indicator framework for stand level evaluation and monitoring of environmentally sustainable forest management Summary The distribution of tree stems will help to determine horizontal forest structure. Depending on scale, the more heterogeneous the distribution, the more likely the provision of habitat for a wide range of species. Natural disturbance will tend to maximize heterogeneity because many random forces may come into play. Logging and re-planting strategies may make the distribution homogeneous, depending on how it is carried out.