A non-equilibrium perspective sheds light on why conventional conservation may fail to achieve its objectives. The human history of societies and the evolutionary history of species have shaped adaptations to disturbance regimes and the potential for resilience or irreversible tipping points in the face of change. Understanding the effects of disturbances such as storms, floods, and fires on post-disturbance recruitment can inform decisions about how key processes, structures, and interactions affect heterogeneity, diversity, and resilience over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Retention of structural legacies (dead and dying trees), mutualistic interactions (microbiotic soil crusts, mycorrhizal fungi), and key wild species (beavers) can promote biodiversity and carbon storage. Management of fire regimes, hydrological processes, and agricultural systems can promote carbon storage. However, difficult decisions about tradeoffs remain.