Actual knowledge about natural forests is an important source of information for management optimisation within biodiversity- productivity integrative approaches. Based on 5times repeated 12 permanent plots in Badínsky prales nature reserve, we tried to describe substantial trends in vegetation dynamics. We compared changes in herb layer communities with dynamics of production and structural parameters of beech-fir natural forest. The most significant shift within 19 years period was decrease of all biodiversity indicators, including species richness, evenness, and other variables. In optimal and decaying stage, we captured large shifts towards growing stage with an only poor herb layer. The vegetation in a growing stage developed more slowly, only within the stage. The result from Ellenberg indicator values analysis was significant thermophylisation, euthrophysation and shift from slight acidic to neutral soil indication. The most significant from 27 production indicators were simple variables, such as number of trees on site, summary of tree diameters, summary of tree height or basal area. These indicators explained from 12 to 35% of species data variability. Together with structural parameters, we identified typical features of single development stages. The typical characteristics for species rich decay stage was a lower biomass concentration, together with the occurrence of Acer pseudoplatanus young individuals. On the other side, sites in a poorly flowered growing stage were typical with high occurrence of Fagus sylvatica juveniles. Plots without herb layer were densely covered with the high number of individuals under 20m of height. Optimal stage is characterized by great species richness in tree layer and occurrence of individuals with DBH from 40 to 44 cm. Shift from optimum stage to growing stage is not necessary accompanied by decaying. The regeneration of tree layer can take place through lower growing individuals that supress a typical decay stage vegetation.