Permaculture is a
branch of ecological design, ecological engineering, and environmental design
which develops sustainable architecture and self-maintained agricultural
systems modeled from natural ecosystems.
The
core tenets of permaculture are:
Take
care of the earth: Provision for all life systems to
continue and multiply. This is the first principle, because without a healthy
earth, humans cannot flourish.
Take
care of the people: Provision for people to access those
resources necessary for their existence.
Share the surplus:
Healthy natural systems use outputs from each element to nourish others. We
humans can do the same. By governing our own needs, we can set resources aside
to further the above principles.
Permaculture design
emphasizes patterns of landscape, function, and species assemblies. It asks the
question, "Where does this element go? How can it be placed for the
maximum benefit of the system?" To answer this question, the central
concept of permaculture is maximizing useful connections between components and
synergy of the final design. The focus of permaculture, therefore, is not on
each separate element, but rather on the relationships created among elements
by the way they are placed together; the whole becoming greater than the sum of
its parts. Permaculture design therefore seeks to minimize waste, human labor,
and energy input by building systems with maximal benefits between design
elements to achieve a high level of synergy. Permaculture designs evolve over
time by taking into account these relationships and elements and can become
extremely complex systems that produce a high density of food and materials with
minimal input.
The design principles
which are the conceptual foundation of permaculture were derived from the
science of systems ecology and study of pre-industrial examples of sustainable
land use. Permaculture draws from several disciplines including organic
farming, agroforestry, integrated farming, sustainable development, and applied
ecology. Permaculture has been applied most commonly to the design of housing
and landscaping, integrating techniques such as agroforestry, natural building,
and rainwater harvesting within the context of permaculture design principles
and theory
The
12 permaculture design principles
Permaculturists
generally regard the following as its 12 design principles:
1.
Observe and interact: By taking time to
engage with nature we can design solutions that suit our particular situation.
2.
Catch and store energy: By developing
systems that collect resources at peak abundance, we can use them in times of
need.
3.
Obtain a yield: Ensure that you are
getting truly useful rewards as part of the work that you are doing.
4.
Apply self-regulation and accept
feedback: We need to discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that systems
can continue to function well.
5.
Use and value renewable resources and
services: Make the best use of nature's abundance to reduce our consumptive
behavior and dependence on non-renewable resources.
6.
Produce no waste: By valuing and making
use of all the resources that are available to us, nothing goes to waste.
7.
Design from patterns to details: By
stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and society. These can form
the backbone of our designs, with the details filled in as we go.
8.
Integrate rather than segregate: By
putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between
those things and they work together to support each other.
9.
Use small and slow solutions: Small and
slow systems are easier to maintain than big ones, making better use of local
resources and producing more sustainable outcomes.
10.
Use and value diversity: Diversity
reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique
nature of the environment in which it resides.
11.
Use edges and value the marginal: The
interface between things is where the most interesting events take place. These
are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system.
12.
Creatively use and respond to change: We
can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing, and
then intervening at the right time.
Permaculture design focuses heavily upon natural patterns. All things,
even the wind, the waves and the Earth moving around the Sun, form patterns. In
pattern application, permaculture designers are encouraged to develop an
awareness of the patterns that exist in nature (and how these function) and how
patterns can be utilized to satisfy the specific design needs of a specific
site. "The application of pattern on a design site involves the designer
recognizing the shape and potential to fit these patterns or combinations of
patterns comfortably onto the landscape".
Permaculture design
focuses heavily upon natural patterns. All things, even the wind, the waves and
the Earth moving around the Sun, form patterns. In pattern application,
permaculture designers are encouraged to develop an awareness of the patterns
that exist in nature (and how these function) and how patterns can be utilized
to satisfy the specific design needs of a specific site. "The application
of pattern on a design site involves the designer recognizing the shape and
potential to fit these patterns or combinations of patterns comfortably onto
the landscape".
Layers
Layers are one of the
tools used to design functional ecosystems that are both sustainable and of
direct benefit to man. A mature ecosystem has a huge number of relationships
between its component parts: trees, understory, ground cover, soil, fungi,
insects, and animals. Because plants grow to different heights, a diverse
community of life is able to grow in a relatively small space, as each layer is
stacked one on top of another. There are generally seven recognized layers in a
food forest, although some practitioners also include fungi as an eighth
layer:[citation needed]
The canopy: the tallest
trees in the system. Large trees dominate but do not saturate the area, i.e.
there exist patches barren of trees.
Low tree layer: dwarf
fruit trees, citrus trees and other short trees
Shrubs: a diverse layer
that includes most berry bushes
Herbaceous: may be
annuals, biennials or perennials; most annuals will fit into this layer
Rhizosphere: root crops
including potatoes and other edible tubers
Soil surface: cover
crops to retain soil and lessen erosion, along with green manures to add
nutrients and organic matter to the soil, especially nitrogen
Vertical layer:
climbers or vines, such as runner beans and lima beans (vine varieties)
Guilds
A guild is any group of
species where each provides a unique set of diverse functions that work in
conjunction, or harmony. Guilds are groups of plants, animals, insects, etc.
that work well together. Some plants may be grown for food production, some
have tap roots that draw nutrients up from deep in the soil, some are
nitrogen-fixing legumes, some attract beneficial insects, and others repel
harmful insects. When grouped together in a mutually beneficial arrangement,
these plants form a guild.
effect
The edge effect in
ecology is the effect of the juxtaposition or placing side by side of
contrasting environments on an ecosystem. Permaculturists argue that, where
vastly differing systems meet, there is an intense area of productivity and
useful connections. An example of this is the coast; where the land and the sea
meet there is a particularly rich area that meets a disproportionate percentage
of human and animal needs. So this idea is played out in permacultural designs by
using spirals in the herb garden or creating ponds that have wavy undulating
shorelines rather than a simple circle or oval (thereby increasing the amount
of edge for a given area). Edges between woodland and open areas have been
claimed to be the most productive.
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