Understanding of ecological processes and the ability to make reasonable forecasts is pivotal for the development of sustainable forest management practices as the effect of specific treatments may not be visible in the lifetime of the forester. Current forest management practices for oriental beech forests in northern Iran lack such scientific foundation. The objective of the present study is to assist in this process by characterizing growth and stand structure of oriental beech for a range of growing conditions in northern Iran and to provide useful insight for application in sustainable management practices in these forests. Like in Iran, sustainable forest management practices are on the agenda in Denmark. Current understanding of near natural forest management relies to a large extend on a series of studies in Suserup Forest – a natural, nemoral European beech forest in Denmark. However, no attempt was made to quantify the observed patterns. As a reference, stand structure was characterized for mixed species European beech woodlands in Suserup Skov in Denmark.