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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [pcplantdb] attributes
  • Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 08:57:31 -0700

Richard Morris wrote:
Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:

Good stuff, currently I'd like to focus on the bits
which tie strongly with specific plants.


patterns


Not quite sure how this works with plants. Are there
specific patterns which work with specific plants. An example
would help to work out how to represent this.

Patterns formed in the natural dispersal of plant seeds may represent
attempts at creating edges or edge zones wherein
those plants seek -relationships- with other plants, animals and microrganisms, seeking suitable habitat with adequate moisture and nutrition and shelter from predators and suitable conditions for germination for maximum growth.

To quote Lee Flier:

To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
Subject: Re: edge zones
From: Lee Flier <lflier@mindspring.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997

"Nature itself has a tendency to arrange things into certain patterns that
appear
random to us if we aren't conscious of them, but which are often optimized to
create
edge (as with the "finger" shape which is also in an oak leaf, the "branching"
shapes of rivers, lungs, and tree branches, etc.) The shape of a mushroom is
also
prevalant; trees, bones, the flowforms of running water, and many other
things take
on this shape. The patterns, the reasons why the patterns occur, and the
connections between them are endless but the basic ones are fairly simple,
and a lot
of aboriginal "abstract art" is really a map of these natural patterns, a way
to
pass knowledge of them down to the children."



stacked functions

swale:
1) ornamental landscape fixture
2) water catchment
3) garden or orchard lication
4) make compost there
5) prevent erosion and loss of rainfall through runoff w/o recycling
6) wind barrier
7) dam for aquaculture system
8) way to recycle poor soil excavated from building site
-- and more


I'm not 100% sure what this is about.

edge zones


Probably can fit this in with habitats section.

To: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
Subject: Re: edge zones
From: Lee Flier <lflier@mindspring.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997

"Yes, the patterning in design and the use of edge zones is very important in
maximizing use of resources on any site. It's a really underrated and
fascinating
area of study.

"Edge zones" occur naturally at the transition point between any two media.
This
could be between air and water, water and soil, forest and field, valley and
slope,
etc. The interesting thing is that the edges of anything are always very
dynamic
and productive compared to the interiors. For example most farmers know that
the
yields at the edges of grain or cornfields are almost double what they are in
the
interiors! Also if you look at a pond, there is more potential diversity of
species
at the edges of ponds than in the middle.

So, in designing sites we want to maximize the amount of "edge". In the case
of the
grain fields for example, you can plant trees, (together with herbs, fruit
bearing
shrubs, vining plants, tubers and anything else that will do well under
trees), and
then run 6 foot wide swaths of grain in clearings between the trees. This
gives
you a "perpetual edge" and you will get nearly the same yield you would have
had if
you'd planted all grain, PLUS the yield from the trees and other plants.

Likewise with a pond, if you make "fingers" all around instead of a simple
round or
oval shape, you will get much more edge which will yield a lot more in the
same
area."


water management
nurtient management



pc systems (swales, berms, guild planting/building


Swales go nicely with habitats.
Whats a berms?

Similar to a swale but more a simple, regularly-shaped multipurpose mound of
dirt
not necessarily formed along contours - could be a wind barrier, used to
rpoduce shading, to divert water
(whereas a swale is deliberately constructed to obstruct, channel and other
wise redistribute water into a catchment (the swale itself)
area to nourish plants and gardens, water livestock or wildlife or even to
make compost, always for water storage and recycling.


food production
economic plant production (timber and firewood. etc.)


This fits with the plant uses section.

plant nursery operation
year-round gardening, greenhousing, season extension


sorry so brief, go to go to work

Rich
--
Plants for a Future: 7000 useful plants
Web: http://www.pfaf.org/ same as http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Post: 1 Lerryn View, Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0QJ
Tel: 01208 872 963 / 0845 458 4719 Email: webmaster@pfaf.org
PFAF electronic mailing list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pfaf


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L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech




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