Changing economic, environmental, and social conditions have challenged foresters to modify their silvicultural practices. Forests in the Massif Central begin the twenty-first century with new management strategies, including restoring diversity and transforming existing stands and plantations into diversified stands that are storm- and pest-resistant and probably more adapted to face climate change consequences (e.g., drought occurrence), using environmentally friendly soil preparation and weed control, and taking advantage of natural processes to favor mixtures of species. Experience to date suggests that more research should be devoted to fundamental exploration of four areas: competition between trees and ground vegetation, changes of biodiversity in relation to the main environmental variables, especially light level, ecology and uses of exotic species, and natural dynamics of forest stands in diverse contexts.