2.18 – Diversity

Nature is obviously diverse, and even harsh climates, such as the polar systems, have complex diversity. However, diversity alone is not enough to create stability or production. A design must be legitimized, the diversity there put together with purpose and each element with its own functions amongst its counterparts.

The diversity that we want looks for elements with multiple functions. We want a system that self-regulates and maintains itself, such that we can let it evolve to reach stability. We are creating positive connections between elements, not just diversity for its own sake. Elements need to perform a function, supply a need, and/or consume an overabundant resource.

In systems design, information is a crucial resource we need to position each element for positive interactions with the elements around it. As systems evolve, we gather more and more information, which acts as an energy store when we design again. In the practical permaculture design, information is gathered and then applied, utilizing our observations and insights.

It is very powerful to have interconnectedness between species. With our growing information, polyculture design is being refined, and we are assembling species that have never been combined. We are creating guilds, grouping elements to an advantage. As these guilds mature, they become more efficient and open to larger interactions, such as with animals. In this way, we can design disturbances that further productivity, cautiously managing landscape beyond what natural systems do.

Key Takeaways:
- Nature is diverse in all climates and landscapes.
- But, diversity alone isn’t enough for systems design.
- The designed diversity must be with purpose, creating valuable connections between elements.
- All elements should perform functions, supply needs, and/or consume overabundant resources.
- Information becomes a crucial resource in design, helping us position elements for positive interaction.
- Interconnectedness between elements, such as guilds with plants, is a powerful advantage.
- Once systems are established, we can design careful disturbances for managing healthy systems beyond natural production.
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2.19 – Stability

We find stability through self-regulatory systems creating life support networks. Some tribal agriculture systems have continued productivity for a thousand years, even more. This sort of productivity is the result of constant feedback and response, elements reacting and adjusting to create a constant yield. We are simply the managers of these systems.

Self-regulating systems don’t have a predictable climax, but rather the evolution is the result of adjustments. Living systems are not exact. They adapt to things like climate change or nutrient profiles in the soil, distorting what once seemed the endpoint. As managers of the system, recognizing and fully realizing the potential of these adjustments is our job.

Key Takeaways

-Stability is found through self-regulation, a system that builds its own life support.
-Stable systems are constantly adjusting and reacting to the environment to maintain productivity.
-The climatic state of designed and natural systems is not exact. It is something that evolves.

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2.20 – Time and Yield

Within designed and natural systems, there is a relevance between time and yield. In old systems, the energy required is only for maintenance and much lower, and the yield is also lower but more diverse. Mature systems don’t need as much energy because they aren’t growing. The yield, then, is less, but the quality and efficiency are better.

For example, the American prairies were once stable, productive ecosystems that supported migratory animals and countless species of plants. We then fenced them in, cultivated only a few species of grass, and converted the plains to beef production, a single product. They now produce only a small fraction of the protein that could’ve been harvested from the wild system. Plus, without the migration and biodiversity, the land’s fertility has degraded.

The prairies became a system of economic yield over natural yield, and yields focused on economics are not stable. They are short-term and waste energy for profit. We must get back to measuring yield by energy rather than money, as these economically driven designs make profits now but fail us in the long run. Natural systems increase in diversity and stability over time.

Time cycles in mature systems do happen—a large tree falling, a super predator dying, a flood—but they can be very long, a time of slow renewal. In our annual systems (most of today’s agriculture), the turnaround is seasonal, too quick to maintain a healthy state. In permaculture, we combine the components of annual and perennial, using the sun’s energy to greater effect. For us, time is a resource in productivity: Too much or not enough isn’t productive, so we use different time cycles to our advantage.