Editing Permaculture (section)

=== Forest gardens ===

[[File:Claire Gregorys Permaculture garden.jpg|thumb|Suburban forest garden in [[Sheffield]], UK, with different layers of vegetation]]

[[Forest gardening|Forest gardens]] or food forests are permaculture systems designed to mimic natural forests. Forest gardens incorporate processes and relationships that the designers understand to be valuable in natural ecosystems.<ref name="Edible Forest Gardening"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Graham Bell's Forest Garden |url=http://permaculture.mediamice.net/?page_id=26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308060346/http://permaculture.mediamice.net/?page_id=26 |archive-date=8 March 2012 |website=Permaculture |publisher=Media mice}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 February 2009 |title=Establishing a Food Forest |url=http://transitionculture.org/2009/02/11/film-review-%E2%80%9Cestablishing-a-food-forest-the-permaculture-way-series/ |publisher=Transition culture |type=film review}}</ref> A mature forest ecosystem is organised into layers with constituents such as trees, [[understory]], [[ground cover]], [[soil]], fungi, insects, and other animals. Because plants grow to different heights, a diverse community of organisms can occupy a relatively small space, each at a different layer.<ref name="TCP 2013">{{cite web |title=Nine layers of the edible forest garden |date=27 May 2013 |url=http://tcpermaculture.com/site/2013/05/27/nine-layers-of-the-edible-forest-garden/ |publisher=TC permaculture}}.</ref>

* [[Rhizosphere (ecology)|Rhizosphere]]: Root layers within the soil. The major components of this layer are the soil and the organisms that live within it such as plant roots and [[rhizomes|zomes]] (including [[root crop]]s such as potatoes and other edible [[tuber]]s), fungi, insects, nematodes, and earthworms.<ref name="TCP 2013"/>
* Soil surface/[[groundcover]]: Overlaps with the [[herbaceous layer]] and the [[groundcover layer]]; however plants in this layer grow much closer to the ground, densely fill bare patches, and typically can tolerate some foot traffic. [[Cover crop]]s retain soil and lessen [[erosion]], along with [[green manure]]s that add nutrients and [[organic matter]], especially [[Nitrogen fixation|nitrogen]].<ref name="TCP 2013"/>
* [[Herbaceous layer]]: Plants that die back to the ground every winter, if cold enough. No woody stems. Many beneficial plants such as culinary and medicinal herbs are in this layer; whether [[Annual plant|annuals]], [[Biennial plant|biennials]], or [[perennials]].<ref name="TCP 2013"/>
* [[Shrub layer]]: woody [[perennials]] of limited height. Includes most berry bushes.<ref name="TCP 2013"/>
* [[Understory]] layer: trees that flourish under the canopy.<ref name="TCP 2013"/>
* The [[canopy (biology)|canopy]]: the tallest trees. Large trees dominate, but typically do not saturate the area, ''i.e.,'' some patches are devoid of trees.<ref name="TCP 2013"/>
* Vertical layer: climbers or [[vine]]s, such as [[runner bean]]s and [[lima bean]]s (vine varieties).<ref name="TCP 2013"/><ref>{{Citation |title=Food forests |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519011208/http://permacultureschool.ca/food-forests/seven-layers-of-a-forest/ |contribution=Seven layers of a forest |contribution-url=http://permacultureschool.ca/food-forests/seven-layers-of-a-forest/ |place=[[Canada|CA]] |publisher=Permaculture school |access-date=5 May 2014 |archive-date=19 May 2015 |url-status=dead}}.</ref>