The transformation of even-aged stands to uneven- aged stands is an issue of changing from a structure that is very simple, homogeneous, and relatively well understood to one which is highly variable and with many complex interactions. Whereas this variability could come in the form of spatial patterns, species, genetic diversity, density, vertical structure, and tree age, the typical reaction of many forest managers and researchers is that all of these elements be included in the ``new'' regimes. This is not necessary and may not even be desirable in most instances. This paper presents an introduction to the silviculture of transforming even-aged plantations to structures with more variability. It also discusses the merits of intermediate forms of management that are neither the simple form of plantation forestry, nor the complex single-tree selection forestry that characterizes many perceptions of uneven-aged silviculture.