Knowra Permaculture Permaculture Permaculture is a design approach for sustainable human settlements and food-producing ecosystems that models relationships and resilience found in natural systems.
Ecological succession : The directional change in species composition and ecosystem structure over time. Permaculture designs planting sequences around the stages through which ecosystems develop.
Zone planning : A method for arranging site elements by how often they need attention. Frequently visited elements are placed close to the home to reduce effort.
Bill Mollison : An Australian ecologist and educator who co-developed permaculture as a design system. Mollison helped formulate and teach permaculture with David Holmgren.
Agroforestry : Land-use systems that integrate trees with crops, livestock, or other agricultural production. Permaculture often uses trees to combine food, habitat, and soil functions.
Organic farming : Agriculture that follows standards restricting synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Organic certification governs inputs, while permaculture emphasizes whole-system design.
Ecological niche : A species’ role and conditions for survival within an ecosystem. Assigning useful roles to plants, animals, and people echoes how niches fit together.
Sector planning : A method for mapping external energies and hazards that pass through a site. Sun, wind, water, and fire exposure shape where elements can work well.
David Holmgren : An Australian environmental designer who co-developed permaculture and articulated its principles. Holmgren developed the conceptual framework that shaped permaculture’s later teaching.
Agroecology : The application of ecological principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems. Agroecology overlaps in practice but is a research field as well as a movement.
Conventional agriculture : Modern farming that commonly relies on mechanization, synthetic inputs, and specialized production. Its input-intensive model contrasts with permaculture’s effort to build ecological relationships.
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