permacukture online handbook

8/22/2019 Permacukture Online Handbook

1/125

Chapter 1: Introduction

For me Permaculture is a philosophy of solutions and a directed path for our enthusiasm formanifesting positive change in the world. Its about realizing the full potential of humanityfrom uncovering the magic behind nature, the patterns and flows that produce abundance.Redirecting that insight into every system, may it be buildings or banking, our actions are

poised to create a great turning, or peaceful transition here in the coming years.

Our Permaculture Definition

Permaculture is the harmoniousintegration of all life kingdoms intoagriculturally productiveecosystems and sociallyjustenvironments producing soundeconomic outcomesthrough systemsmanagement. It is a regenerativedesign intentionreflecting patternsin nature that seeks to build interconnectionsallowing for energyefficiency and abundanceof yield.

Chapter 2: Design Principles

The principles above are laid out in Bill Mollisons later book Introduction to Permaculture.There he presented a concise form of the concepts he laid out in the Chapters 2 & 3 inPermaculture: A Designers Manual. A summary of them can be seen below and evendownloaded here:BM PC Principles summary.The principles seem to be patterns laid out on how natures inherent intelligence is formed in

time and space. They are a great tool for interpreting ecosystem establishment and functionsand from there designs can unfold.

1. Relative Location: Seek to build working relationships between each element so that theneeds of one element are filled by the outputs of another element. Core of Permaculture is
http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/bm-pc-principles-summary.pdfhttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/bm-pc-principles-summary.pdfhttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/bm-pc-principles-summary.pdfhttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/relative-location/http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/slide043.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/relative-location/http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/bm-pc-principles-summary.pdf


2/125

Design; design is a connection between things. To enable a design component to functionefficiently, we must put it in the right place.

Functional Analysis: is a tool to realize the full potential of each element byexamining products and behaviors, needs, and intrinsic characteristics.

2. Each Element Performs Many Functions: Each element in the system should be chosen

and placed so that it performs as many functions as possible. Use relative location so elementswith diverse functions have their qualities perpetuated.

3. Each Important Function is Supported by Many Elements: Important basic needs suchas water, food, and fire protection should be served in two or more ways.4. Efficient Energy Planning: Zone and sector placement with slope and other factors aretaken into consideration for maximizing our time, energy, and monetary resources.

Zone Planning refers to the placement of elements based on their intensity of useand management.

Sector Planning is about placing design components to manage incoming wildenergies to our advantage or to mitigate their affects.

Slope means looking at a site in profile to maximize energy flow- i.e. gravity andconvection.

5. Using Biological Resources: Is the key strategy to develop sustainable systems, saveenergy and do the work of the farm. Their building up on location is a long-term investment,they have to be managed carefully, and their integration needs to be thoroughly considered inthe planning period and during their usage careful management and adherence to propertiming is essential.

Animal Tractors: use animals to clear land, such as chickens in the garden, goatson a bramble patch, or pigs to help turn over a potato field.

Pest Control: integrate specific plants to create refuges for beneficial insects suchas those from the plant families of aster, umbel, and mint. Additionally design in birdand bat houses, small ponds, rock and stick piles as well as large hollow logs to createhabitat for various species such as small reptiles.

Fertilizers: use the manure from animals to create soil as well as diverse plantingsthat include nitrogen fixing plants (alfalfa, clover, black locust) as well as dynamicaccumulators (comfrey, nettles) so that chop and drop can be employed.

6. Energy Cycling: Permaculture systems intend to stop the flow of energies off-site andinstead turn them into cycles. The interaction between plants and animals produces energy,which is caught, stored, used and re-cycled. Incoming energysun, water, wind, manuresareused at its highest possible use, then its next highest, and so on.

Source to sink: moving water across the landscape in a series of interlinkingponds to prevent erosive runoff.

Cascading nutrients: turning the waste of one product into a multitude of otherproducts using various life kingdoms- i.e. plants, animals, bacteria, and fungus.

Kitchen wastes to compost, animal manure to biogas, greywater to the garden, etc.7. Small Scale Intensive Systems: Fully develop the nucleus before moving on, planning forhighly intensive, biologically based food, fiber, and energy production at the doorstep.

Plant stacking: use varying heights of plants to obtain yields from more than onelayer

Time Stacking: in combination with the above, utilize species that provide yieldsearly, thus gaining quick rewards from the intensive energy input of developing aspace for a long term yield such as avocados or macadamias.

8. Accelerate Succession and Evolution:direct plants, animals, and soil life towards

complexity and diversity to build our own climax species in a shorter time, forward youragriculture systems to more permanence, whether it is a grassland or a food forest. Utilize
http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/multiple-functions-for-every-element/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/each-important-function-supported-by-many-different-elements/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/each-important-function-supported-by-many-different-elements/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-efficient-planning/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-cycling/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-cycling/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-cycling/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-cycling/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/accelerating-succession-and-evolution/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/accelerating-succession-and-evolution/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/accelerating-succession-and-evolution/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-cycling/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-efficient-planning/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/each-important-function-supported-by-many-different-elements/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/multiple-functions-for-every-element/


3/125

invasive species to your advantage; substitute your own pioneers and climax species that havemultiple functions.9.Diversity: the sum of the yields in a mixed system will be larger than in a monoculture.Stability is produced when elements are cooperating. Not the number of elements is central,

but their functional connections. It can be summed through the examination of the dynamic

interplay of order and chaos, entropy, tidiness, control, and creativity. Guilds: areclose associations of species around a central element. Rely on

composition and placement of species, which benefit each other. They aid in reducingroot competition, providing physical shelter, providing nutrients, and assisting in pestcontrol.

10.Edge Effects:Edges are places of varied ecology as they share resources between twodistinct ecosystems and are known as a net and sieve for energy. We can increase the yield ofthe system by manipulating where two ecosystems meet, and designing in their uniquespecies. Here the patterns of nature merge to utilize their inspiration with our creativity.

11. Attitudinal Principles: Problem is the Solution: every resource is either an advantage or disadvantage,

depending on the use made of it. The Yield is Theoretically Unlimited: the only limit to the number of uses of a

resource within a system is only limited to the information and imagination of thedesigner.

Work with Nature, Not Against: We need to assist rather than impede naturalprocesses, essential to comprehend and copy.

Everything Gardens: every creature sets up conditions so that it can thrive. Theycreate and carve their niche in an interconnected web of life.

Least Change for the Greatest Effect: When designing, use our intuition to guidethe inherent regenerative qualities so that energy is not squandered.

Relative Location

Core of Permaculture is Design, design is a connection between things.

Relative Location dictates the need for elements to be arranged so they can create functionalinterconnections. It is wonderful for a landscape to contain numerous elements such as pond,chickens, and trees, but if these elements do not interrelate in a beneficial way then we havenot designed properly. Thus we diverge from our Cartesian and Newtonian ways from our

upbringing into a more holistic way of design with Permaculture. So if you examine the tree,the chicken, and the pond how can these elements actually interrelate we can learn about theprinciple of relative location.
http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/


4/125

So with this we can examine and see that when placed accordingly the three elements all have

beneficial relationships together. The mulberry tree can help to feed the chickens and fishfrom their dropping fruits while the chicken can fertilize the pond and the tree. The pond thenhas more biomass for lower trophic fish to consume while also duckweed will flourish on thetop of the pond. THis can be scrapped off and feed to the chickens and has a high proteincontent including the amino acid lysine which helps to turn chicken eggs dark yellow or goldin their yoke. The pond then of course reflects light and provides moisture for the tree. THEKEY is that they are all placed next to each other and have access to each others outputs sothey obtain their inputs directly and efficiently.

THE DESIGN TOOL OF FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS

To efficiently match up the inputs of one element to the outputs of another we must perform

functional analysis of each element. This is true in our above example with the mulberry tree.By knowing that it drops its ripe fruit, we can design this element into our design to help

supply the need from our chickens. Its only through research and observation of naturalsystems and ecologies that we obtain the needed context for matching elements. With that wecatalogue each element of the PC farm by creating the following design tool:
http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide102.jpg


5/125

Permaculture Functional Analysis

In the functional analysis, one must examine the inputs, the outputs, and finally the intrinsiccharacteristics of the element itself. This helps to flush out the function of element andinitiates the process of matching inputs and outputs together of your varying elements.Remember though that not all ponds are created equal nor the chicken that maybe on its

banks. Thus intrinsic characteristic deals with its breed quite often or of other inherentqualities. For example with the pond, it could be a eutrophic pond (meaning it gets warmerand turns green due to algal growth) where as an oligotrophic pond (clear and have fewernutrients) will have different outputs or thespecies that live within it. Similarly the chickens we find in Austria will be different thanthose we find in tropical Australia. This has to do with breeding of temperature tolerancesand often leads into color. Moreover, chickens that have been breed for egg production areusually big birds and have great scratching and foraging tendencies. However, they are

usually not great mothers and if you want to raise your own young, inserting some Bantamchickens in will help with brooding process. Decisively you cant put six bantam chickensinto a chicken tractor and expect the same results as a six Rhode Island Reds. Thus by doingthe research of functional analysis, a greater cultivated ecology (Permaculture site) will becreated through a more diverse and complex food web.We must remember that Permaculture and the economy of business are not separate. We cangain more profitability in small businesses and clean up large businesses through embracingrelative location. Below shows a graph of what the ZERI corporation was able to do with a

brewing operation by matching inputs and outputs together. All the sudden with our foodweb being more complex, there is less waste and more products, employment, and ultimately

profit being accrued.
http://www.zeri.org/ZERI/Home.htmlhttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide06.jpghttp://www.zeri.org/ZERI/Home.html


6/125

ZERI's redefinition of a commercial brewery

A couple of great resources for reading more about this is William McDonoughs book called

Cradle to Cradle. Another favorite of mine is Gunter Paulis latest book called The BlueEconomy. Here he presents many great opportunities of using waste streams as ways to

increase sustainability in a diverse array of communities. Below you can see a scannedpicture from this book which again details matching inputs and outputs.


7/125

He calls it cascading nutrients which of course echoes another Permaculture Principle called

Energy cycling. As we see the Permaculture principles are like petals of a rose, folded on topof each other, one spinning one direction, and others going the opposite, yet comprising whatwe call the rose.

Multiple Functions for Every Element

Quick Summary

2. Each Element Performs Many Functions: Each element in the system should be chosenand placed so that it performs as many functions as possible. Use relative location so elementswith diverse functions have their qualities perpetuated.

Philosophical Underpinnings
http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/multiple-functions-for-every-element/http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/coffeev-001.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/rose.pnghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/coffeev-001.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/rose.pnghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/multiple-functions-for-every-element/


8/125

When designing with natures guidance and inspiration, creative energy flows as we mimicnatural systems through the design process. The principles of Permaculture can be brokendown into a numbered sequence but essentially they should all have the number one in frontof them. There is no separation for natural systems work in holistic means and we mustunderstand that the principles themselves are so intertwined that for this principle of multi-

functions to come through in a design relative location must be applied as well. Thus bybuilding on relative location, we can locate items so that they fill a myriad of functions.

Practical Application

In nature we see this everywhere with animals such as the squirrel. It fertilizes from its waste,is a taxi cab for fungal spores and classically it plants nuts of oak and hickory. From this weshould always aim for our elements to perform at least three functions. This is a general ruleof thumb and often, if we dont meet this number of three, we have not explored our creativity

fully, or the research wasnt sufficient in ourfunctional analysis. Below is a great example ofa permaculture planting to match inputs and outputs up together:

The Mulberry Tree placed in relative location of the chicken coop thus performing multiplefunctions

The mulberry tree is placed on the southern side (sector planning) of the coop to provideshade for the chickens in this dry and hot climate of Northern California. Through ourfunctional analysis we find out, that mulberries drop their fruit when ripe. Consequently, the

plant performs another function of providing forage for the chickens that are grazing below.When I go to feed the chickens or pick up some eggs, I can pick the ripening mulberries fromthe tree or those located outside of the strawyard.

Furthermore because the chickens are constantly depositing waste in the strawyard thetree is able to utilize and absorb this concentration ofnutrients. Conversely it is also able to


9/125

create soil itself by its leaf drop and its association with micro-organisms in the soil. Also byplacing this element in relative location of the strawyard, the chickens are afforded someaerial protection. Since the site was located on the banks of a major western U.S. River, thereis avian predation from hawks and eagles. I mean it taste like chicken afterwards and so wemust give them the correct habitat so that they will not be randomly picked off.

Lastly the chicken and mulberry tree from a wonderfully entertaining relationship. Whenyou go into the yard and shake the mulberry tree when the fruit are ripening, a hundred or somulberries will drop setting off a feeding frenzy comparable to the piranhas and woundedflesh. Again this is only possible through the principle of relative location as the mulberrytree must be next to the cage for that functional interconnection to occur.

Each Important Function supported by many different elements

Quick Summary

3. Each Important Function is Supported by Many Elements: Important basic needs suchas water, food, and fire protection should be served in two or more ways.

Philosophical UnderpinningsTo build in redundancy into a design, one must always examine the functions of the site.Depending on contextual factors such as geographic locations, inherent natural resources, andthe socio-economic factors at play, the design will dictate certain functions which will take

precedence. For example fire protection might be paramount in parts of Australia while theEastern Deciduous Forest of North America are areas where fire is very rare. Below is a listof common functions one will find on a site and some of the elements to support this.

Water ( berm and basin, roof catchment, greywater, aquaculture) Access (Pathways, roads, tracks) Energy (electricity, pumping, heating and cooking via firewood) Food production (nuts, seeds, dairy, grains, vegetables, fruit, bee products, flowers) Cottage industry (shiitake logs, eco-tourism, educational programming, market

garden) Animal husbandry (at the least worms and pigeons, if space chickens, ducks,

goats) Fire Protection (ponds, roads, stone walls, fire suppressing vegetation)


Inherently nature does this through its important functions such as nitrogen fixation as anapproach to its desire to accelerate succession.

nitrogen fixer from the mountains of Patagonia, one of many helping to feed the soil
http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/each-important-function-supported-by-many-different-elements/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/each-important-function-supported-by-many-different-elements/http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/dsc_0824.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/each-important-function-supported-by-many-different-elements/


10/125

In a recently planted small orchard/ food forest in Bulgaria, I witnessed a collection ofnitrogen fixers stacked in space and time which is another one of the Permaculture principlesas they all overlap so eloquently. Anyway the field had low growing clover, a taller series oftypes of bush clovers and alfalfas, the vining species of vetches, as well as Black Locust treeson the outskirts of the field along the fencerow. Nature didnt use just one species at one

height and at one time, yet there was diversity in and amongst the many plants that wereperforming that function of nitrogen fixation and the greater plant family that was pushingsuccession along and repairing this plot that had once been a potato patch for many years.So as we see below, one of the prime directives in Permaculture is to design in systems thatwill re-enliven the full hydrological cycle. Thus this important function of slowing andsinking water is supported by many different elements. It is commonly said that eachfunction should be supported by three different elements, using our creativity and informationto understand the time and space relationship that would occur in your given context and atthat particular time of year. For instance pond building is always a favorite elements that

people like to incorporate into designs but that may not apply if your soil does not hold waterall year round. Consequently if you build a dam without the due diligence of observing other

local techniques of storing water and soil testing, then your pond simply turns into a large raingarden. This of course still helps with the important function of slowing and sinking water

but if you wanted that pond to also be used for irrigation later in the season or aquaculture,then the lack of water retention is a failure.Thus we continue to use functional analysis and our direct observation to make sure thattechniques used in one context arent automatically employed in others just because of a

previous success. Instead dont be a rubber stamp like traditional development and designhow nature does, filling niches with what is appropriate while building in redundancy.

Rain gardens: simple berm and basin mostly on level ground directing runoff fromimpervious surfaces such as roofs and driveways with vegetation to help increase infiltrationand filtration.


11/125

Rain Cisterns: tanks of various materials and dimensions constructed and placed to harnessvaluable roof run-off ofr alter use such as irrigation or drinking.

Swales: Another berm and basin technology on slightly steeper ground to catch overland flowfrom lawns but also as in the above case roof run-off that had been wastefully and pollutingly

piped into a suburban landowners backyard by original developer.


12/125

Chinampas or reconstructed wetlands: using high water tables and the productivity ofaquatic plant growth to spur on soil development, food production, and slowly moving water

through a sight with lots of edge.


13/125

Contour Hedgerows: Using contour plantings such as vetiver grass to hold soil on steephillsides with crops integrated between rows of contours.
http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide36.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide35.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide36.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide35.jpg


14/125

Dams: compacted earthen areas with the intention of water surface storage and otherfunctions such as habitat or irrigation.Gabions: rock construction in streamways to alter the flow of water and trap sediments

behind the rocks or force its deposition on the banks by the newly created curves.

Keyline Design: great Broadacre application of using the a pattern in anture to maximizewater runoff by forcing it to the ridges where it is allowed to infiltrate and hydrate landscapesextensively.


15/125

Greywater: re-using water in the landscape that comes from a household source of use suchas a shower or laundry water.All the above techniques can be combined to cycle energy and create abundance on a sitewhile mitigating erosion and drought. Again design how nature does, with redundancy-multiple elements for each function and how each element can perform many functions.

Energy Efficient Planning

Quick Summary

4. Efficient Energy Planning: Zone and sector placement with slope and other factors are

taken into consideration for maximizing our time, energy, and monetary resources. Zone Planning refers to the placement of elements based on their intensity of use

and management.

Sector Planning is about placing design components to manage incoming wildenergies to our advantage or to mitigate their affects.

Slope means looking at a site in profile to maximize energy flow- i.e. gravity andconvection.


The efficiency of energy is directly tied to economics as Bill Mollison states in hisIntroduction to Permaculture book. Planning to conserve resources and money is essential inany good design. Thus we use zones, sectors, and slope in where to place elements such as

structures, animals, and water features. Common sense planning is inherently construedthrough Permaculture design, which i do believe P.A. Yeomans was the first to bring
http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-efficient-planning/http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide38.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/energy-efficient-planning/


16/125

intelligent design to the west in terms of agricultural development. He laid out the Scale ofPermanence, which I do believe is where the idea of design and in particular this principlestems from.


Zones defined by Mollison is placing elements based on the intensity of use and management.

Through functional analysis, we learn how often and when we would need to visit animals orplants. For example goats like broad areas to roam including brushy and forested areas, but ifare intended for milking need to be dealt with at least twice a day. This forces us to put theanimals closer to the house but not too close as possible smells and noise should be accountedfor. However a pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis) needs to be only visited a handful of times tocheck on its flowering stages and then the subsequent harvest. So we place the goats closer tothe house than the pecan tree as our attention must be directed more often to the goats. Thuswe place elements in zones 0-5 based again on management and intensity of use.Zone 0: the house or center of initiative while some also the inner landscape or heart space.high intensity of use and lots of time there. could also be a workshop, a barn, or commercial

kitchen depending on the site. larger sites such as ecovillages or braod-acre farms will often

have numerous centers of initiative.Zone 1: plants and animals require pruning, mulching, watering, and daily feeding forexample. rabbits, guinea pigs, worms or salad beds, herb gardens, vines for shading the southor western portion of the house, and herb fruit trees such as a dwarf lemon in themediterranean climates. Water features would include tanks and roof collection system, greywater, outdoor shower or veggie washing station, and tyre ponds. Worm bins help tomaintain fertility and cycle nutrient flow from the household.Zone 2: still items that would be used intensively but spaced further from the zone 0. Fruittrees on dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock, poultry, and dairy animals housing finds itself juttinginto a zone 2. While zone 1 gardens would have cherry tomatoes as they require daily

picking, zone 2 would have larger tomatoes for drying, canning, or fresh eating. Both needwater, maintenance such as pruning, mulch, and feeding so they are located near the houseand carefully tended to. The zone 2 is larger and can also feature larger aquaculture pondsand water harvesting features such as terraces, swales, and rain gardens. Hot compost pilesusing products from gardens, animal pens, and leaf fall can be used to maintain fertility. Can

be applied in solid form.Zone 3: less intensity of use and broad acres application begins with extensive plantings ofgarden staples such as corn, pumpkin, and potatoes. larger pastures for animals exist withrotation often occurring with electric fencing. Trees of larger size such as fruits on standardrootstock and many nut trees can intersect here. Food forests can go in either zone 2 or 3 andthe integration of animals with tree crops often happens in zone 3. Plantings for firewood or

polewood such as a coppice woodlots of hazel, willow, and black locust may occur. Coldcompost piles of branches and trimmings can and weeds in the early establish of the forestgarden can make pockets to spread after a long, slow break down process. Fertility from zone1 worm bins or zone 2 thermal compost can be applied in liquid form to bigger areas.Irrigation ponds as well as biomass producing chinampas or ponds may be sited as well and

connected to zone 3 mulching or zone 2 composting. liquid feed on broad-acre used withmaking compost tea or extract. Swales and contour terracing can alter hydrological cyclesand aid in reforestation.Zone 4: extension of our broadacre pastures for sheep and cattle with tree crops hopefullylining the fence rows. Forestry plantings for timber and forested areas yielding non-timberforest products such as mushrooms and medicinal herbs. Large nut trees such as oaks both

for food, timber, and wildlife reside here. Keyline design could also be applied here and


17/125

using animals such as cattle to repair water cycles is often used. Large irrigation ponds whensited appropriate.Zone 5: where the permaculturist goes to learn from, wild areas that support wild creaturesand hopefully as many native plants as possible. many zone 4 areas will turn to zone 5 aftersome years of rehabilitation with working with invasive species and soil rehabilitation.

Nature is our teacher and allowing even a pot on a back porch to go untended can be anexample of zone 5. The below picture helps to provide a theoretical application of zonethinking

While this picutre does depict the sort of perfect landscape, natural ssytems will reroute theconcnetric circles displayed. Becasue natural features such as rocky outcroppings or steepdropsoffs are present on permaculture sites changes will occur. For example at a

permaculture school garden in Portugal, i have witnessed jsut outside the door a huge set ofrocks that the children love to play on but make a unfarmable space other than the odd pothere and there. THis forces the zone 1 and 2 to be pushed further away than normal. Alsozone thinking can be altered by having a long zone 1 wedge running next to frequently used

paths. Lastly zone thinking can be applied to small-scale thinking of an individual gardenbeds lettuce on the edge while brocoli further in) or even to how with even fit within a bio-region.Our next aspect of planning for energy efficiency is to apply sector planning. Sectorsinvestigate wild energies that pass through ones site. After the analysis has been done wethen examine how to approach these energies in a way that is beneficial in reducing energyuse whether it is plants, structures, soil, or even our animals. A list of wild energies and some

of their characteristics can be found in the following: Summer sun ( high angle that sets beyond east and west)


18/125

Winter sun (low angle that sets before east and west) Summer wind (sometimes hot and dry or bringing moisture and storms) Winter wind (can be bitterly cold and dry or bring moisture and storms) Noise (from roads, factories, and neighbors) dust from roads Wildlife (deer, weasels, foxes.) View (often important for a client) Flood (not so much water in general but where might a stream overflow its banks,

water flow is better mapped on a flow analysis) Fire (in general flows uphill and might come from a pine forest or dry field and

pushed by dry winds)Sector analysis gives you a picture of how these flows intersect on a site and gives you insightto then deal with it in a beneficial way. Sectors are often dealt with in the following threeways:

Block ( a cold wind on the house so you erect an evergreen wind break far enoughfrom the house to not block sun but do the job on reducing the need to burn more

wood to heat the home Channel ( wildlife such as deer can be forced to go a certain direction with tear shape

fences rather than simple squares that they like to jump over) Open up ( a good view that trees are blocking that you cut down and replace with

small growing edible landscaping)Below is a depiction of a sector map. Pie shaped wedges give value and direction to the wildenergies. This is a common tool used in Permaculture design but as stated above with water itcan be limited. Thus use this in combination with an Analysis of Flows to really see as theenergies flowing on a site including a more detailed look at water, wildlife, nutrients, andhuman traffic.


19/125

Sector Analysis of Parkwalk Permaculture Project (Northern Hemisphere)The final aspect that must be looked at is slope. Whether it is carting things up and downhill,

or how you move energy through a site, slope is extremely relevant to efficiency of energy.Placing dams at their highest level so we can use gravity is a very important aspect of siting.Also building a house in middle of a slope allows you to gravity feed water but also stay out

of the temperature extremes of the ridge and the valley. There frost and high winds tend todominate while the middle retains qualities of both especially frost drainage. Also heavymaterials such as timber can be easily brought downhill while food stock like grains can be

brought up hill. On a smaller scale grow lettuce below the house while harvest of potatoesshould take place above the house. That way the wheelbarrow full of spuds glides downhill tothe house or to a nearby root cellar. I fortunately have been able to see a village in Bulgarianamed Shipka designed exactly this way. Mountain water diverted form a stream serves forirrigation, all the houses are orientated to the sun with grape arbors slowing the summer sun,forest above the village, shepherds and grain fields below with each villager gardening.Exchange of nutrients worked perfectly with the forest raining down and the manure cart

from the stables coming up by way of horse. It was a village sited in antiquity and land held incommons during the communist rule. Now the social fabric rips apart.

Use of Biological Resources

Quick Summary

Using Biological Resources: Is the key strategy to develop sustainable systems, save energyand do the work of the farm. Their building up on location is a long-term investment, theyhave to be managed carefully, and their integration needs to be thoroughly considered in the

planning period and during their usage careful management and adherence to proper timing is

essential.
http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide371.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/


20/125

Animal Tractors: use animals to clear land, such as chickens in the garden, goatson a bramble patch, or pigs to help turn over a potato field.

Pest Control: integrate specific plants to create refuges for beneficial insects suchas those from the plant families of aster, umbel, and mint. Additionally design in birdand bat houses, small ponds, rock and stick piles as well as large hollow logs to create

habitat for various species such as small reptiles. Fertilizers: use the manure from animals to create soil as well as diverse plantings

that include nitrogen fixing plants (alfalfa, clover, black locust) as well as dynamicaccumulators (comfrey, nettles) so that chop and drop can be employed.


Bill Mollison said we need to switch from a chemistry and war based agriculture to

returning to one that nourishesbiological processes. This switch will help to bring more vitality to the whole system in theform of increased soil organic matter, increased water infiltration and the subsequentgroundwater recharge, and increased carbon sequestration from more efficient photosynthesisand root depth.

Below I will highlight the bullet points Bill Mollison makes in the Introduction toPermaculture for using biological resources and show the chemical alternatives. Which do

you prefer to work with as growers? Which do you prefer to pay for as consumers? Which doyou hope the government chooses to subsidize? We as a society need to invest in this long-

term natural capital that builds habitat and brings the necessary checks and balances toecosystems. The key is seeing the long-term and not using the shortsighted current paradigm


21/125

that focuses squarely on financial gain.


To prepare beds for planting, we can utilize a chickens products and behaviors while fulfillingsome its needs while placed in a tractoring system. This means that we as designers and


22/125

managers construct a cage system that confines the chickens in a small area but a big enougharea for them to be comfortably. THey then clear the ground of most weeds as they eat thegreen material, scratch for bugs and seeds, and the result is a slightly tilled soil and well-manured. Several keys apply to management and are the following:

As the growing green material in the allotted area of the chicken tractor dwindle, youmust cut and carry herbs and grasses to keep the diet of the chickens balanced. Greenscan include perennials like comfrey or annual weeds like chickweed. Leftovers

become mulch. Bring other dry weeds, brown material of leaves of straw to help balance carbon

nitrogen ration and further prepare the bed for planting out. This will help bind the hi-nitrogen of the chicken manure to the hi-carbon and keep it from off-gassing andcreating smells. It provides a much more hygienic atmosphere for the chickens andcreates better conditions for organic material breakdown and the eventual growth ofnew plants. Having a thick layer of mulch also stimulates an instinctual behaviour toscratch.

Dont over feed the chickens on grain or they will scratch less and eat less greens.keep their nutrition optimal but keep them foraging.

Move the chickens just at the time that they have cleared the majority of the greenmaterial and have sufficiently scratched and manured. If you wait to long you willconcentrate the manures too greatly and the result will be pollution.

Timing sand management is the key and is all based on observation. It depends is theanswer to all your questions about how many chickens, for how long, and on and on.It is always context dependent.

As for the design, the key to a great chicken tractor is its easy of mobility and adaptability toyour already existing gardens. Straight row garden lend themselves well to spring and fallcleanups with a rectilinear shape of a chicken tractor. The material should be sturdy butlightweight enough for one or two people to move it. Also makes sure it has built in nest


23/125

boxes, water station, and feed bin if you are choosing to feed the chooks grain. You can alsobe inspired by the founding work of Linda Woodrow from the Australian, subtropical climatebook, A Permaculture Garden, to build chook domes. These use piping and chicken wireshaped in a circular fashion so these beds that are cleared are apart of a mandala system. It isa great system and the timing and plants i believe still need to be well thought out for

temperate areas but i do think it is achievable.

Cows can also be used to accelerate the succession of the soil and turn a problem into asolution as i once witnessed at a rangeland in the North of Portugal. It was a steep terrain,classically planted out with Eucalypt monoculture which of course makes for a fire pronehillside which is an extremely dangerous system to create. However, one farmer there beganto raise smaller and more agile beef on these hillsides that browsed more like goats than sayAngus beef. They were tractored in a sense with electric fence being moved daily or every

other day in and amongst the Eucalyptus groves. Part of Eucalyptuss fire strategy is toconstantly shed its bark through its fast growth and drop branches. This adds quiteconsiderably to the fuel load below and what most grows in the understory is a mix ofnitrogen-fixing bushes. These are often quite nutritious for animals and the cows primaryintake was this fire prone vegetation as well. With the cows ranging in a small pasture, theywere able to knock down the branches and bark of the Eucalyptus and chip them up and otherorganic material with their weight and hooves which drastically cuts the fire risk. Thematerial has a chance to break down biologically instead of oxidatively. The cow manuresthe hillsides reinserting biology back into the system that was lost during spray, spray, sprayimplementation which also speeds the breakdown of this newly chipped organic material.Then they are quickly moved on so the ground is not over compacted, the bushes are not

overgrazed but the animal impact occurs. He was so successful with his rotation thatneighbors allowed him to graze his cattle on their land and was able to increase his herd size


24/125

and thus profit. He was hoping to phase out his day job in town because of this which wouldof course result in an even stronger system due to even more refined management.

Another major input of chemicals into the environment is through the use of potent chemicalblends that often involve heavy metals whipped into a neurotoxin for insects known aspesticides. However, much research has been done on bringing balance into the system tostabilize the onset of insect attacks. By working with nature, we can design in and managesuccession to encourage plants from the following families: Asteraceae (daisyfamily), Apiaceae (orUmbelliferae, Carrot Family), andLamiaceae. These plant families aswell as some other specific plants help support various predator insects at different life stages.They also feed on prey insect which are garden pests. These plants can be designed in as

guilds or if you leave abandoned strips of vegetation along the edge of forests or plantings canbe maintained in herbaceous succession. Nature uses these plants inherently when it starts toregenerate systems because they help to bring balance to insect life.


25/125

Furthermore, design features such as bird and bat houses can be used to attract beneficialwildlife to help suppress insects. One of the most valuable inputs of natural capital that an old

growth forest supports is cavities. Thus we can accelerate succession and evolution of a siteby inserting nesting boxes for insectivorous birds and bats on our permaculture sites. Planscan be found on the internet and this is a great place to interface with your local fish andwildlife services to get exact measurements for your local species. We must ask why sprayDDT for mosquitos when we could build a biological army of bats that also produces highquality manure and pleasurable dusk gazing. Moreover, we can further design in biodiversitywhich again stabilizes systems through small ponds and rock or log piles to attract differentflora and fauna. They attract amphibians and reptiles which can also deter pests. Dragonfliesare both vicious predators in water and in the air which when given the aquatic habitat theywill be another force in controlling pest insects. Lastly, domestic animals such as chickens orguinea fowl can help break pest cycles in orchards and pastures. However just having themon the farm is not simply good enough, they must be put in relative location so that thefunctional interconnections can be perpetuated.


26/125

Another important design feature that exemplifies the principle of use of biological resourcesis the use of Nitrogen fixing plants and dynamic accumulators. Nitrogen fixers take theabundant atmospheric oxygen and through an alchemical process with bacteria in the soil,form a useable nitrogen input to plants once they pass through predator-prey relationships inthe soil. If you breathe deeply now it is mostly nitrogen floating around but in soil it can be alimiting factor that is associated with the green growth of plant as well as protein production.The chemical opposite is found in bags and in propane tanks pulled by tractors at the

beginning of the corn season. This of course has a detrimental affect on the soil food webwhich is the long-term key to building the natural capital rich humus substance. Alternativelywe can use varying heights of vegetation from the legume family like annuals such as beans,vines such as wisteria, shrubs such as Siberian pea shrub, or trees such as Black Locust tocycle this very important nutrient through the system. We do this through chopping and

dropping the organic material which allows nitrogen to pass into the soil in various ways.The roots slump off in accordance to the vegetation being cut and the nitrogen rich leavesand branches are broken down and again through predator-prey relationships, the nitrogen ismade available.Furthermore, encouraging fungal rich soils is a paramount function of Permaculture. Soilsuccession has been altered where Bacteria dominate but the fungus really allows organicsystems to thrive. They provide extra nutrient cycling and humus building which givesdisease resistance and pest protection from having a full range of minerals and nutrientsallowing for maximum photosynthesis. The following are ways to encourage fungus in yoursystems:

limit the amount of tilling, digging, and disturbing the soil. Use animal tractors andsheet mulching as much as possible.


27/125

use carbon rich materials to cover the soil such as straw or the branches from nitrogen-fixing trees.

build hot compost piles that take three months to fully break down but were built witha diverse of carbon materials i.e. leaves, perennial plant stalks, straw, and wood chips.

encourage perennial vegetation including trees and shrubs. For instance reintroducinghedgerows along fields of grapes or pastures for cows can boost fungus in the area.

Finally in building up that long-term investment of farm fertility, we use dynamicaccumulators in our designs to enhance the mineral and nutrient content of the soil. It is

Comfrey emerging in the spring in the permaculture garden
http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/img_64841.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide441.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/img_64841.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/slide441.jpg


28/125

analogous to cover cropping but we use perennial plants such as comfrey, stinging nettle, orcardoon to draw minerals up and diffuse them to the surface through their breakdown.Comfrey is the classic Permaculture choice as it can be cut numerous times and it continues

to grow rapidly giving ample biomass to compost, make bio-fertilizer from, or simply mulchthe plants in relative location. It concentrates Potassium through its alchemical relationship

with the sub-soil and provides a wonder of multi-functions: a true permaculture all-star.

Accelerating Succession and EvolutionQuick Summary

8. Accelerate Succession and Evolution: direct plants, animals, and soil life towardscomplexity and diversity to build our own climax species in a shorter time, forward youragriculture systems to more permanence, whether it is a grassland or a food forest. Utilizeinvasive species to your advantage; substitute your own pioneers and climax species that havemultiple functions.Philosophical Underpinnings

Succession is one of the key concepts for understanding natural systems. It can be

Hot Compost Pile: Escola Da Terra, Portugal: Students flipping a very powerful tool foraccelerating succession

thought of the as the will of nature pushing complexity and diversity ever more present. Itstarts with little, sometimes even bare rock from a volcano or bare soil after a years worth ofgrowing, spraying and tilling a corn crop.

From there it moves upward and downward creating new niches for varying flora and fauna toapproach the heavens and to reach subterraneanly. As succession moves along, weeds turn to

brambles which mix with shrubs then canopy trees emerge and eventually a climax forestcomes.

Context dependently, it moves more into a prairie or savannah depending on the local rainfallor local herbivores that set the stage for succession as well. The key behind this whole processis what happens above so happens below. The biomass of carbon and micro-organismsincreases exponentially moving the soil from a bacterial driven system to one that isdominated by fungus.

Its a truly remarkable mirror that must always be crystalized in our minds, designs, andmanagement strategies even though we often dont examine it physically. However one cando this under the micro-scope, or use the sense of smell, or even the eyes with increased bio-diversity above the soil surface and increased water penetration below the surface. Erosiondecreases, humus builds, and life flourishes along the process of succession.

The counteracting force of succession is called disturbance in ecological models. However,when disturbance is patterned with nature, a rapid rebound can happen and actually propelsuccession.

In nature tornadoes, ice storms, lava flow, hurricanes, marauding bison herds, and even plant

diseases all act as contributors to disturbance. They are often local, quick events that bringdown a patch of forest for example and bring a unique mosaic to the canopy. This force is


29/125

creative and actually gives rise to increased bio-diversity through creating more edge. Thishappens at a pace and intensity associated with geologic time and the scale is relatively small.

Unfortunately mankind has become the major shaper of succession and disturbance regimes.Mowing the lawn is disturbance, ploughing a field is disturbance, printing something on paper

is disturbance. The scary part is that we as humans dont understand this very basic conceptand our role or toll with the trickle down effect it has in the interconnected, web of life on this

blue planet.

It is in our own best interest to start to repair ecosystem functions through acceleratingsuccession and evolution of sites. We need to always embrace the attitudinal principles suchas work with nature, not against and everything gardens when it comes to this principle.Practical Application

Bill Mollison offered four objectives for fulfilling this principles in our design andmanagement work and I will offer a couple more:

Using what is already growingIntroduce plants that will easily surviveRaising organic levels artificiallySubstituting our own herb, pioneer, and climax speciesIncrease water infiltration ratesUse animals in a natural herding motion

Accelerate Succession The Permaculture Way- use invasives already growing to ouradvantage

Using what is already growing

In the above photo in the mountains above Golden Bay, New Zealand, the landowner used theinvasive gorse (Ulex europaeus) as a support species for the Olive tree. He simply cleared asmall access path into the stubborn bramble and dropped the tree into the middle of the patch.Gorse is a nitrogen fixer, creates humus rich soil from its fine needles breaking down overtime, and is a good deterrent to the tree eating Australian Opossum (Trichosurus vulpecula).The best part is we didnt have to plant it and it was in relative location of the tree for a

simple chop and drop fertilizer.

Introduce plants that will easily survive

In Permaculture systems we use pioneer species (those that come in and do the hard

Black Locust as an example of a tree to introduce first

work of pushing succession along (often nitrogen fixers or deep tap rooting perennials) to getsomething established to nurse along the more sensitive ones. For example, if I wanted to

plant Macadamia trees (Macadamia tetraphylla), which are wind sensitive, I need to first planthardy pioneers like Acacia or Albizias. These trees fix nitrogen and can live in poor, drysoils and withstand wind.


30/125

Also getting dry, Mediterranean herbs going or even euphorbias might be essential before

planting in our climax species. However, we need not wait for nature do it at her pace, wecan speed this process up through propagating our own seeds and regenerating quickly.

Raising organic levels artificially

Organic material levels being raised equates to much more resilience in the system and can beaccomplished effectively through various techniques. Organic farmers use cover crops oflegumes and annual grasses to inject biomass and carbon above and below the soil surface.We can also push the soil succession along by creating hot compost piles or vermi-compost

bins to speed up the breakdown of the materials. When we then apply these to the land theyhelp to push the soil succession of bacterial to fungal bringing a more balanced system forgrowing crops and trees especially. They can be put into water to form compost extract orcompost tea with the use of an air pump and more foods for micro-organisms.

These are all very powerful tools for accelerating succession and the work of Permaculturists

will often deal with seeding micro-organisms and giving them foods to flourish on to speedsuccession. More organic matter equates to more water held on site in the soil, which willextend the growing season in our drylands context.

Substituting our own herb, pioneer, and climax species.

Bringing diversity will bring more stability and a greater caloric output to the system.

Chestnuts as an example of a climax species inserted in the drylands of New Zealand, non-native but a great food resource thus reducing our need for global, industrial grain production

This means if we analyze how the natural systems are structured we can imitate them withgood design. Utilize natives first but then also bring in plants that are multifunctional and canserve succession and biodiversity at different levels. Comfrey is often inserted in wherethistles or dock is seen growing and can be apart of our guilds.

In the tropics, I like to cover the ground with peanut grass to fix nitrogen and cover theground quickly to seal the wound of disturbance. Finally watching Geoff Lawtons How to

Establish a Food Forest the Permaculture Way talks in great length about this substitutionprocess.

Increase water infiltration rates

A forest absorbs more water than a bare lawn for obvious reasons. As we are regeneratingsystems we will often have to intervene with water harvesting features such as swales or evenkeyline on the broad-acre scale. When more water infiltrates, groundwater recharge and ahigher, more sustained groundwater level helps ecosystems heal more quickly.

Additionally increased water in combination with increased organic matter levels in the soilleads to greater Micro-organisms (MOs) counts as water is essential for their lives. More

MOs means more plant biomass, means more photosynthetic energy going above and belowthe earth (root exudates- soil cakes and cookies), and eventually more MOs and on and on .


31/125

Use animals in a natural herding motion

The prairies of the great plains in North America built the largest natural capitol reserves oftop soil reaching 30 ft (9 m) or more in places. This was from the long-standing succession

and disturbance cycle of predators, bison and other mammals, fire, and North Americannatives with perennial herbaceous plants. The bison herds was a vast stretch with hugenumbers and would consume and wipe out nearly everything in its path in a phenomenaknown as animal impact.

While violent looking at first glance, they were essentially chippers and composters as theirwastes were instantaneously divided and layered through their heavy stomping and largedense herds (A modern-day story from Portugal here). We can emulate that pattern with usingshepherding techniques or more commonly in this modern-day electric fence to rotate cattleor sheep densely as we have often lost the herd effect from lack of predators. This powerfultool known as rotational grazing or mob grazing can really help regenerate systems quickly.

All of these tools can be used in combination with each other and will always remain contextdependent. This is the great work we have in front of us in our lifetimes to repair hydrologicalcycles, increase wildlife habitat and bring more stable climatic regimes once more on PlanetEarth.

Accelerating Succession and Evolution

Quick Summary

8.Accelerate Succession and Evolution: direct plants, animals, and soil life towardscomplexity and diversity to build our own climax species in a shorter time, forward your

agriculture systems to more permanence, whether it is a grassland or a food forest. Utilizeinvasive species to your advantage; substitute your own pioneers and climax species that havemultiple functions.


Succession is one of the key concepts for understanding natural systems. It can be thought ofthe as the will of nature pushing complexity and diversity ever more present. It starts withlittle, sometimes even bare rock from a volcano or bare soil after a years worth of growing,spraying and tilling a corn crop.

From there it moves upward and downward creating new niches for varying flora and fauna toapproach the heavens and to reach subterraneanly. As succession moves along, weeds turn to

brambles which mix with shrubs then canopy trees emerge and eventually a climax forestcomes.Context dependently, it moves more into a prairie or savannah depending on the local rainfallor local herbivores that set the stage for succession as well. The key behind this whole processis what happens above so happens below. The biomass of carbon and micro-organismsincreases exponentially moving the soil from a bacterial driven system to one that isdominated by fungus.Its a truly remarkable mirror that must always be crystalized in our minds, designs, and

management strategies even though we often dont examine it physically. However one can

do this under the micro-scope, or use the sense of smell, or even the eyes with increased bio-


32/125

diversity above the soil surface and increased water penetration below the surface. Erosiondecreases, humus builds, and life flourishes along the process of succession.The counteracting force of succession is called disturbance in ecological models. However,when disturbance is patterned with nature, a rapid rebound can happen and actually propelsuccession.

In nature tornadoes, ice storms, lava flow, hurricanes, marauding bison herds, and even plantdiseases all act as contributors to disturbance. They are often local, quick events that bringdown a patch of forest for example and bring a unique mosaic to the canopy. This force iscreative and actually gives rise to increased bio-diversity through creating more edge.Thishappens at a pace and intensity associated with geologic time and the scale is relatively small.Unfortunately mankind has become the major shaper of succession and disturbance regimes.Mowing the lawn is disturbance, ploughing a field is disturbance, printing something on paperis disturbance. The scary part is that we as humans dont understand this very basic concept

and our role or toll with the trickle down effect it has in the interconnected, web of life on thisblue planet.It is in our own best interest to start to repair ecosystem functions through accelerating

succession and evolution of sites. We need to always embrace the attitudinal principles suchas work with nature, not against and everything gardens when it comes to this principle.


Bill Mollison offered four objectives for fulfilling this principles in our design andmanagement work and I will offer a couple more:

Using what is already growing Introduce plants that will easily survive Raising organic levels artificially Substituting our own herb, pioneer, and climax species Increase water infiltration rates Use animals in a natural herding motion

Accelerate Succession The Permaculture Way- use invasives already growing to ouradvantage
http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/slide0841.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/edge-effect/


33/125

Using what is already growing

In the above photo in the mountains above Golden Bay, New Zealand, the landowner used theinvasive gorse (Ulex europaeus) as a support species for the Olive tree. He simply cleared asmall access path into the stubborn bramble and dropped the tree into the middle of the patch.Gorse is a nitrogen fixer, creates humus rich soil from its fine needles breaking down over

time, and is a good deterrent to the tree eating Australian Opossum (Trichosurus vulpecula).The best part is we didnt have to plant it and it was in relative location of the tree for asimplechop and drop fertilizer.

Introduce plants that will easily surviveIn Permaculture systems we use pioneer species, those that come in and do the hard work of

pushing succession along (often nitrogen fixers or deep tap rooting perennials) to getsomething established to nurse along the more sensitive ones. For example, if I wanted to

plant Macadamia trees (Macadamia tetraphylla), which are wind sensitive, I need to first planthardy pioneers like Acacia or Albizias. These trees fix nitrogen and can live in poor, drysoils and withstand wind.Also getting dry, Mediterranean herbs going or even euphorbias might be essential before

planting in our climax species. However, we need not wait for nature do it at her pace, wecan speed this process up through propagating our own seeds and regenerating quickly.

Raising organic levels artificiallyOrganic material levels being raised equates to much more resilience in the system and can beaccomplished effectively through various techniques. Organic farmers use cover crops oflegumes and annual grasses to inject biomass and carbon above and below the soil surface.We can also push the soil succession along by creating hot compost piles or vermi-compost

bins to speed up the breakdown of the materials. When we then apply these to the land theyhelp to push the soil succession of bacterial to fungal bringing a more balanced system forgrowing crops and trees especially. They can be put into water to form compost extract orcompost tea with the use of an air pump and more foods for micro-organisms.These are all very powerful tools for accelerating succession and the work of Permaculturistswill often deal with seeding micro-organisms and giving them foods to flourish on to speedsuccession. More organic matter equates to more water held on site in the soil,which willextend the growing season in our drylands context.

Substi tuting our own herb, pioneer, and cl imax species

Bringingdiversitywill bring more stability and a greater caloric output to the system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulex_europaeushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulex_europaeushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulex_europaeushttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/relative-location/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/relative-location/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadamia_tetraphyllahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadamia_tetraphyllahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadamia_tetraphyllahttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/diversity-guilds/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macadamia_tetraphyllahttp://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/relative-location/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulex_europaeus


34/125

Chestnuts as an example of a climax species inserted in the drylands of New Zealand,non-native but a great food resource thus reducing our need for global, industrial grain

production

This means if we analyze how the natural systems are structured we can imitate them withgood design. Utilize natives first but then also bring in plants that are multifunctional and canserve succession and biodiversity at different levels. Comfrey is often inserted in wherethistles or dock is seen growing and can be apart of our guilds.In the tropics, I like to cover the ground with peanut grass to fix nitrogen and cover theground quickly to seal the wound of disturbance. Finally watching Geoff Lawtons How to

Establish a Food Forest the Permaculture Way talks in great length about this substitutionprocess.

Swale Plan View- combining water infiltration with pioneersIncrease water infiltration rates
http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/slide0851.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/100_4772.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/slide0851.jpghttp://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/100_4772.jpg


35/125

A forest absorbs more water than a bare lawn for obvious reasons. As we are regeneratingsystems we will often have to intervene with water harvesting features such as swales or evenkeyline on the broad-acre scale. When more water infiltrates, groundwater recharge and ahigher, more sustained groundwater level helps ecosystems heal more quickly.Additionally increased water in combination with increased organic matter levels in the soil

leads to greater Micro-organisms (MOs)counts as water is essential for their lives. MoreMOs means more plant biomass, means more photosynthetic energy going above and below

the earth (root exudates- soil cakes and cookies), and eventually more MOs and on and on .

Use animals in a natural herding motionThe prairies of the great plains in North America built the largest natural capitol reserves oftop soil reaching 30 ft (9 m) or more in places. This was from the long-standing successionand disturbance cycle of predators, bison and other mammals, fire, and North Americannatives with perennial herbaceous plants. The bison herds was a vast stretch with hugenumbers and would consume and wipe out nearly everything in its path in a phenomenaknown as animal impact.While violent looking at first glance, they were essentially chippers and composters as their

wastes were instantaneously divided and layered through their heavy stomping and largedense herds (A modern-day story fromPortugal here). We can emulate that pattern with usingshepherding techniques or more commonly in this modern-day electric fence to rotate cattleor sheep densely as we have often lost the herd effect from lack of predators. This powerfultool known as rotational grazing or mob grazing can really help regenerate systems quickly.All of these tools can be used in combination with each other and will always remain contextdependent. This is the great work we have in front of us in our lifetimes to repair hydrologicalcycles, increase wildlife habitat and bring more stable climatic regimes once more on PlanetEarth.

Diversity (Guilds)Quick Summary

9.Diversity: the sum of the yields in a mixed system will be larger than in a monoculture.Stability is produced when elements are cooperating. Not the number of elements is central,

but their functional connections. It can be summed through the examination of the dynamicinterplay of order and chaos, entropy, tidiness, control, and creativity.

Guilds: areclose associations of species around a central element. Rely oncomposition and placement of species, which benefit each other. They aid in reducingroot competition, providing physical shelter, providing nutrients, and assisting in pestcontrol.


Systems devoid of diversity employ chaos such as insect attacks or plant diseases to bringbalance and ultimately show signs of the systems weakness. This is the tale of the modernday monoculture farming. Nature uses diversity even in the driest places to
http://treeyopermaculture.com/treeyo/courses-attended/carbon-farming-course-the-farm-tennessee-usa/keyline-design-with-darren-daugherty/http://treeyopermaculture.com/treeyo/courses-attended/carbon-farming-course-the-farm-tennessee-usa/keyline-design-with-darren-daugherty/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermacultureedu.wordpress.com/chapter-2-3-or-the-11-design-principles-from-the-intro-book/use-of-biological-resources/http://treeyopermaculture.com/treeyo/courses-attended/carbon-farming-course-the-farm-tennessee-usa/keyline-design-with-darren-daugherty/


36/125

Prickly Pear Cactuscreate conditions of life-enhancement so that a system functions optimally at all times. Amodel of efficiency was institutionalized over the 170 years when it comes to farming and

the result has been anything but efficient. On the contrary, it has been rather disastrous.Assuming that we examine two adjoining plots of land, 1 HA each with differing models ofgrowth. One is the monoculture of say corn, wheat, or even apples. The other is a mix ofsmall gardens, row crops, animal systems, tree crops, perennial vegetables, herbs, bees,

butterflies, mammals and birds. The former uses chemicals or high uses of energy to stabilizethe system, while the other uses natural checks and balances and the inherent order displayedin regenerating systems. The monoculture may outcompete organic systems, although the

Rodale Institute would argue otherwise, in the lbs/acre or kgs/ha. However this comes with acost, a minus sign that unfortunately is ignored with the cost of food or the regulations. Soilis lost, bird life is jeopardized, and human health is marginalized for the profits of the everneeding expansion of GDP and profit sharing that is the capitalistic model. Meanwhileenergy is built in the opposing system, a greater caloric input is achieved, and natural capitolis built through a creative cultivated ecology known as Permaculture.

Practical ApplicationA popular movement in the states right now is the idea of edible landscaping which appliesthe principle of diversity. It utilizes the following common properties of landscaping plants

but also brings the edible and often quite nutritious quality as well: spring blossom of particular attraction interesting fruit that persists fall foliage that displays brilliance

For temperate zones, the following pictures show some common plants that are grown withthe idea of a woodland edge that suburban gardens can represent beautifully. Arranging themin and amongst other flowering natives, perennials, and annuals makes a diverse landscapewhile reducing our need for the global food system that wastes up to 50% of all shipped

produce. Also much of our current food has been modified in various ways to improvedifferent qualities like shipping ability or ability to be sprayed with pesticides yet not dying,

but unfortunately we really havent had a focus on improving nutrition quality. However thebelow plants have more of a wild flavor and the resulting residual nutrition qualities that arepointed out in the pictures.
http://treeyopermacultureedu.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/dscn04311.jpg


37/125

North Americas largest native fruit, the Paw Paw (Asimina triloba), is a wonderful additionto any temperate, humid climate garden. Its native range extend from Georgia to Canadameaning it can be grown in many locales especially those that have warm and humidsummers such as Korea or Germany or of course the eastern half of the United States. It isthe only temperate fruit from the Custard Apple family (Anonas) and brings a tropical

essence to the Permaculture garden with its large leaves. It has a quite unusual maroon flowerthat is pollinated in the spring by flies rather than bees as it flowers uses a mimicry system ofrotting carion rather than a sweet aroma. However, dont let this stop you from planting whatthe locals call Indiana Banana, Ohio Banana, Michigan Banana, or whatever state you aregrowing them in. It can be grown in full sun or shade while its native habitat is often alongthe edge of streams and fields. More sun=more fruit. Deer and goat resistance make thisspecies a great option for increasing diversity without lots of hassle of protecting it from

predatory herbivores. The delicious fruit ripens in the fall and when combined with the flour

from another tree crop called mesquite a great smoothy can be enjoyed. Cultivated varieties


38/125

are becoming quite popular as grafting of course speeds the time until you enjoy your firstfruits.

This tree is native to England and is a great addition to the home garden with its prolificflowers and abundant fruits. This plant has the remarkable characteristic that it is first toflower and last to fruit!!!!! It bears cluster of bright red fruits and can be eaten fresh,

preserved in jams or fermented to make alcohol. I heard stories of the local doing all of thesein Bulgaria. It forms a multiple stem trunk and after 30 years is only 15-20 feet tall but

produces a remarkable quantity of fruit. It is in the dogwood family which gives it aninherent beauty with its deeply ribbed leaves and fall foliage making it agreat edible

landscaping plant to extend the season of both fruit and flower.


39/125

The genus of amelanchier should be a widely utilized edible landscaping plant as it alsobelongs to the rose/ apple family of rosaceae. It boasts a tremendous clustering of whiteflowers all over the tree in early spring which is quite the site. The fruit then develops to adark blue/purple color and are a great substitute for blueberries especially in the alkaline andheavy soils like in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA where I grew up. The fruit are subtly sweet and aremedicinal and a traditional addition into the dried fruit and meat dish that the plains nativeamericans relied heavily on in North America: pemmican. Many varieties can be grown thoseonly reaching 2m (6ft) or those reaching 9 m (30 ft). The tree is very abundant in fruit andflower with great fall foliage making it a great addition to the edible landscape.


40/125

This small plant is making a North American revival after its export to Europe and cultivarimprovement. While the name isnt the best marketing tool (that is why you might justencounter it as Aronia these days), it is super medicinal and a nutra-ceutical industry is

popping up around it similar to Acai or mangosteen from the tropics. However, this is atemperate fruit and grows well next to rain gardens or on the mounds of swales. It cantolerate wet conditions and produces small clusters of white and fragrant flowers in the earlyspring. The dark purple berries then develop and give lots of medicinal not yet great tasting

berries. They can be juiced with other sweet fruits or imagine the medicinal quality wheneating them and enjoy. This plants foliage also turns bright red in the fall which allows it to

be a front and center plant in landscaping.


41/125

Finally, the flavor and aroma of kiwi fruits are enjoyed by many around the world. Howeverwe often export them from Chile, New Zealand, or Italy where their mediterranean climatessupport these fruits. However, in the temperate regions the hardy kiwi can be grown ontrelliss to support its vining habitat. It also produces delicious fruit from its fragrant whiteflowers. Alternatively this one is eaten like a table grape thus requiring no peeling. It growsslowly initially and does require both male and female plants for pollination. However, onceit does start to fruit be ready for a heap of them as I have seen 30 year old vines simplydripping in Iowa, USA. The old-time farmer took them to market but in Bulgaria they oftenferment them into a wine. There are many cultivars these days and the nutrition value issuperb.

Guilds

Guilds build on this principle of diversity through providing structure to our designs of howwe organize plants. We msut realize and observe how nature uses certain plants to fulfill

certain functions and then build off of this inherent design. The picture below depicts anatural grove of plants in a garden at Permaship in the Balkan foothills in Bulgaria. It shows


42/125

how nature arranges regenerative plants such as the deep tap rooting Dandelion in the asterfamily, the nitrogen fixing vetch in the legume family, the dynamic accumulating Stingingnettle from the mint family, and finally the perennial fennel attracting beneficial insects fromthe Umbel family. There is no seen competition, rather the plants attracting different mineralsfor the health of the overall ecosystem and providing order in the chaotic zone of regeneration

of an abandoned part of a garden. They repair and balance through attracting beneficialinsects and other flora and fauna above and below the soil line. Other herbs and grasses andscattered about but it shows many of the functions and plant families we are looking for whenwe construct guilds in a permaculture context.

Guild of fennel, dandelion, nettle, and vetch growing wild in an abandoned part of a garden inBulgaria

The main concept behind guilds is that you have one central element and you build a micro-ecosystem to reduce entropy of the sytem and connect functional interrelationship acrossvarying life kingdoms. We employ the ideas of using multi-functional plants, stacking inspace and time, and use biological resources to create harmony.Thus around our central element such as a tree shown below from different angles being a

Paw Paw, we arrange plants that enhance the growing conditions of the element. Each


43/125

element by itself can be catapulted to a multi-function status by arranging the plants inrelative location so that inputs and outputs interactions are maximized.

As the below pictures depicts guilds provide the following four functions according to BillMollison:

1. Provide Nutrients (PN) (Nitrogen fixers, dynamic accumulators, animals such as fowl)2. Assist in Pest Control (APC) (Plants from the following families: Asteraceae (daisy

family), Apiaceae (orUmbelliferae, Carrot Family), andLamiaceae, animals such asfowl)

3. Reduce Root Competition (RRC) (use of bulbs and deep tap-rooters such as comfreyand cana lily to reduce root invasion from running grasses in particular)

4.

Provide Physical Shelter (PPS) (use of plant such as Jerusalem Artichoke or Cana Lilyto reduce wind or sun damage on species such as Oak, Macadamia, or Paw Paw)


44/125

The below picture shows those four functions listed in the guild plants plus other functionslike edibility or medicinal. A classic portrayal of comfreys multifunctional qualities can beseen. Guilds are not just limited to the above families as I really like incorporating plantsfrom the Allium family like chives or Egyptian walking onion. Companion planting inorganic farming is a well documented strategy and I believe Permaculture uses similar

philosophy but with a greater concentration on perennials for guilds. Simple arrangements ofplants given the correct context around climate and soil

Banana Circle Plan View- Tropical Guild with associated Earthworks


45/125

conditions will yield a better result for the overall system. Guilds in the tropics may includeplants such as winged bean, lemongrass, and peanut grass while those in the temperate worldmay include siberian pea shrub, egyptian walking onion, and c

permacukture online handbook

Documents