Editing Permaculture (section)

== Theory ==

=== Design principles ===

Holmgren articulated twelve permaculture design principles in his ''Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability'':<ref name="H's 12 Ps">{{Cite web |title=Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability |url=https://store.holmgren.com.au/product/principles-and-pathways/ |access-date=21 October 2013 |publisher=Holmgren Design}}</ref>

* ''Observe and interact'': Take time to engage with nature to design solutions that suit a particular situation.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Catch and store energy'': Develop systems that collect resources at peak abundance for use in times of need.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Obtain a yield'': Emphasize projects that generate meaningful rewards.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Apply self-regulation and accept feedback'': Discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that systems function well.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Use and value renewable resources and services'': Make the best use of nature's abundance: reduce consumption and dependence on non-renewable resources.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Produce no waste'': Value and employ all available resources: waste nothing.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Design from patterns to details'': Observe patterns in nature and society and use them to inform designs, later adding details.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Integrate rather than segregate'': Proper designs allow relationships to develop between design elements, allowing them to work together to support each other.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Use small and slow solutions'': Small and slow systems are easier to maintain, make better use of local resources, and produce more sustainable outcomes.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Use and value diversity'': Diversity reduces system-level vulnerability to threats and fully exploits its environment.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Use edges and value the marginal'': The border between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the system's most valuable, diverse, and productive elements.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>
* ''Creatively use and respond to change'': A positive impact on inevitable change comes from careful observation, followed by well-timed intervention.<ref name="H's 12 Ps"/>

=== Guilds ===

[[File:Mycorrhizal network.svg|thumb|[[Mycorrhizal fungi]] usually function in a mutualistic [[Symbiosis|symbiotic relationship]] with plants.]]

[[File:Ladybug aphids.JPG|thumb|[[Coccinellidae|Ladybugs]] are seen as [[beneficial insect]]s in permaculture because of their help with [[aphid]] control.]]

A [[Guild (ecology)|guild]] is a mutually beneficial group of species that form a part of the larger ecosystem. Within a guild each species of insect or plant provides a unique set of diverse services that work in harmony. Plants may be grown for food production, drawing nutrients from deep in the soil through tap roots, balancing nitrogen levels in the soil ([[legumes]]), for attracting [[beneficial insects]] to the garden, and repelling undesirable insects or pests.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Simberloff |first1=D. |last2=Dayan |first2=T. |year=1991 |title=The Guild Concept and the Structure of Ecological Communities |journal=Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics |volume=22 |page=115 |doi=10.1146/annurev.es.22.110191.000555}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Williams |first1=S.E. |last2=Hero |first2=J.M. |year=1998 |title=Rainforest frogs of the Australian Wet Tropics: guild classification and the ecological similarity of declining species |journal=Proceedings: Biological Sciences |volume=265 |issue=1396 |pages=597–602 |doi=10.1098/rspb.1998.0336 |pmc=1689015 |pmid=9881468}}</ref> There are several types of guilds, such as community function guilds, mutual support guilds, and resource partitioning guilds.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last1=Bloom |first1=Jessi |title=Practical Permaculture: For Home Landscapes, Your Community, and the Whole Earth |last2=Boehnlein |first2=Dave |publisher=Timber Press |year=2015 |isbn=9781604694437 |pages=223–24; 232–33}}</ref>

* Community function guilds group species based on a specific function or niche that they fill in the garden. Examples of this type of guild include plants that attract a particular beneficial insect or plants that restore nitrogen to the soil. These types of guilds are aimed at solving specific problems which may arise in a garden, such as infestations of harmful insects and poor nutrition in the soil.<ref name=":11" />
* Establishment guilds are commonly used when working to establish target species (the primary vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. you want to be established in your garden) with the support of pioneer species (plants that will help the target species succeed). For example, in [[temperate climate]]s, plants such as [[comfrey]] (as a weed barrier and [[dynamic accumulator]]), [[Lupine (flower)|lupine]] (as a nitrogen fixer), and [[daffodil]] (as a [[gopher]] deterrent) can together form a guild for a fruit tree. As the tree matures, the support plants will likely eventually be shaded out and can be used as compost.<ref name=":11" />
* Mature guilds form once your target species are established. For example, if the tree layer of your landscape closes its [[Canopy (biology)|canopy]], sun-loving support plants will be shaded out and die. Shade loving [[medicinal herbs]] such as [[ginseng]], [[Black Cohosh]], and [[goldenseal]] can be planted as an [[understory]].<ref name=":11" />
* Mutual support guilds group species together that are complementary by working together and supporting each other. This guild may include a plant that fixes nitrogen, a plant that hosts insects that are predators to pests, and another plant that attracts pollinators.<ref name=":11" /> 
* Resource partitioning guilds group species based on their abilities to share essential resources with one another through a process of niche differentiation. An example of this type of guild includes placing a [[Fibrous root system|fibrous- or shallow-rooted plant]] next to a [[Taproot|tap-rooted plant]] so that they draw from different levels of soil nutrients.<ref name=":11" />

=== Zones ===

[[File:Permaculture Zones.svg|thumb|Permaculture zones 0-5]]

Zones intelligently organize design elements in a human environment based on the frequency of human use and plant or animal needs. Frequently manipulated or harvested elements of the design are located close to the house in zones 1 and 2. Manipulated elements located further away are used less frequently. Zones are numbered from 0 to 5 based on positioning.{{sfn|Burnett|2001|p=26}}
; Zone 0
: The house, or home center. Here permaculture principles aim to reduce energy and water needs harnessing natural resources such as sunlight, to create a harmonious, sustainable environment in which to live and work. Zone 0 is an informal designation, not specifically defined in Mollison's book.{{sfn|Burnett|2001|p=26}}
; Zone 1
: The zone nearest to the house, the location for those elements in the system that require frequent attention, or that need to be visited often, such as salad crops, herb plants, soft fruit like [[Strawberry|strawberries]] or [[Raspberry|raspberries]], [[greenhouse]] and [[cold frame]]s, propagation area, [[Vermicompost|worm compost]] bin for kitchen waste, etc. [[Raised bed gardening|Raised beds]] are often used in Zone 1 in [[Urban agriculture|urban areas]].{{sfn|Burnett|2001|p=26}}
; Zone 2
: This area is used for siting [[perennial]] plants that require less frequent maintenance, such as occasional [[weed control]] or [[pruning]], including currant bushes and orchards, pumpkins, sweet potato, etc. Also, a good place for [[beehive]]s, larger-scale [[compost]]ing bins, etc.{{sfn|Burnett|2001|p=26}}
; Zone 3
: The area where main crops are grown, both for domestic use and for trade purposes. After establishment, care and maintenance required are fairly minimal (provided [[mulch]]es and similar things are used), such as watering or weed control maybe once a week.{{sfn|Burnett|2001|p=26}}
; Zone 4
: A semi-wild area, mainly used for [[forage]] and collecting wild plants as well as production of timber for construction or firewood.{{sfn|Burnett|2001|p=26}}
; Zone 5
: A wilderness area. Humans do not intervene in zone 5 apart from observing natural [[ecosystem]]s and cycles. This zone hosts [[Biological pest control|a natural reserve of bacteria, molds, and insects]] that can aid the zones above it.{{sfn|Burnett|2001|p=26}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Permacultuur course |url=http://edepot.wur.nl/115721 |place=[[Netherlands]] |publisher=WUR}}</ref>

=== Edge effect ===

The [[edge effect]] in ecology is the increased diversity that results when two [[habitat]]s meet.{{sfn|Hemenway|2009|pp=45–47, 286}} Permaculturists argue that these places can be highly productive. An example of this is a coast. Where land and sea meet is a rich area that meets a disproportionate percentage of human and animal needs. This idea is reflected in permacultural designs by using spirals in herb gardens, 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).<ref name="DeepGreen 2013">{{Cite news |title=10. Edge Effect |work=Deep Green Permaculture |url=https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/permaculture/permaculture-design-principles/10-edge-effect/ |date=3 April 2013 |access-date=19 January 2017}}</ref> On the other hand, in a keyhole bed, edges are minimized to avoid wasting space and effort.{{sfn|Hemenway|2009|pp=45–47, 286}}