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Layers

Layers are one of the tools used to design functional ecosystems that are both

sustainable and of direct benefit to humans. A mature ecosystem has a huge number of

relationships between its component parts: trees, understory, ground cover,soil, fungi,insects, and animals. Because plants grow to different heights, a diverse community of

life is able to grow in a relatively small space, as each layer is stacked one on top of

another. There are generally seven recognized layers in afood forest, although some

practitioners also include fungias an eighth layer:citation needed!

1. The canopy: the tallest trees in the system. Large trees dominate butdo not saturate the area, i.e. there exist patches barren of trees.

2. Understory layer: trees that usually grow less than 4!

". #hrubs: a di$erse layer that includes most berry bushes

4. %erbaceous: may be annuals, biennials or perennials& most annualswill fit into this layer

. #oil surface: co$er cropsto retain soil and lessen erosion, along withgreen manuresto add nutrients and organic matterto the soil,especially nitrogen

'. (hi)osphere: root cropsincluding potatoesand other edible tubers

*. +ertical layer: climbers or $ines, such as runner beansand lima beans$ine $arieties-

Guilds

A guildis any group of specieswhere each provides a uni"ue set of diverse functions

that work in con#unction, or harmony. $uilds are groups ofplants,animals,insects,etc.

that work well together. %ome plants may be grown for food production, some have tap

roots that draw nutrients up from deep in the soil, some are nitrogen&fi'ing legumes,

some attractbeneficial insects,and others repel harmful insects. (hen grouped together

in a mutually beneficial arrangement, these plants form a guild. )*!)+!)!

Edge effect

The edge effectin ecology is the effect of the #u'taposition or placing side by side of

contrasting environmentson an ecosystem. -ermaculturists argue that, where vastly

differing systems meet, there is an intense area of productivity and useful connections.

An e'ample of this is the coast where the land and the sea meet there is a particularly

rich area that meets a disproportionate percentage of human and animal needs. %o this

idea is played out in permacultural designs by using spirals in the herb garden or

creating ponds that have wavy undulating shorelines rather than a simple circle or oval

/thereby increasing the amount of edge for a given area0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_coverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_coverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_gardeninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_gardeninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrubhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbaceoushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_crophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erosionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_manurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_matterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_fixationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizosphere_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_crophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potatohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runner_beanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_beanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guild_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legumeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneficial_insectshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneficial_insectshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_effecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_coverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_gardeninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopy_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrubhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbaceoushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_crophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erosionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_manurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_matterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_fixationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizosphere_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_crophttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potatohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runner_beanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_beanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guild_(ecology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legumeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beneficial_insectshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture#cite_note-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_effecthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment

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Zones

1ones are a way of intelligently organizing design elements in a human environment on

the basis of the fre"uency of human use and plant or animal needs. 2re"uently

manipulated or harvested elements of the design are located close to the house in zones

) and *. Less fre"uently used or manipulated elements, and elements that benefit fromisolation /such as wild species0 are farther away. 1ones are about positioning things

appropriately. 1ones are numbered from 3 to 4:citation needed!

one /

The house, or home center. %ere permaculture principles would be

applied in terms of aiming to reduce energy and water needs,

harnessing natural resources such as sunlight, and generally creating

a harmonious, sustainable en$ironment in which to li$e and wor0.

one / is an informal designation, which is not specifically defined in

ill ollison!s boo0.

one 1

The )one nearest to the house, the location for those elements in the

system that re3uire fre3uent attention, or that need to be $isited

often, such as salad crops, herbplants, soft fruit li0e strawberriesor

raspberries, greenhouseand cold frames, propagation area, worm

compostbin for 0itchen waste, etc. (aised bedsare often used in

)one 1 in urban areas.

one 2

This area is used for siting perennialplants that re3uire less fre3uent

maintenance, such as occasional weed controlor pruning, including

currant bushes and orchards, pump0ins, sweet potato, etc. This would

also be a good place for beehi$es, larger scale compostingbins, and

so on.

one "

The area where maincrops are grown, both for domestic use and for

trade purposes. 5fter establishment, care and maintenance re3uired

are fairly minimal pro$ided mulchesand similar things are used-,

such as watering or weed control maybe once a wee0.

one 4

5 semiwild area. This )one is mainly used for forageand collecting

wild food as well as production of timber for construction or firewood.

one

5 wilderness area. There is no human inter$ention in )one apartfrom the obser$ation of natural ecosystemsand cycles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mollisonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhousehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_framehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicomposthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicomposthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_bed_gardeninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed_controlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pruninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foragehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mollisonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberrieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhousehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_framehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicomposthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermicomposthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_bed_gardeninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed_controlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pruninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foragehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem

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