Permaforestry
Encyclopedia
Permaforestry is an approach to the wildcrafting
and harvesting of the forest biomass
that uses cultivation to improve the natural harmonious systems. It is a relationship of interdependence
between humans and the natural systems in which the amount of biomass available from the forest increases with the health of its natural systems.
Examples of bioproducts derived from biomass
that are created through permaforestry:
Honey, maple syrup and other tree saps, gourmet foods, functional food
s, berries, wild mushrooms, ginseng, wild rice, herbs, fiddleheads, fish, frogs and crustaceans, pharmaceuticals, natural health products, essential oils, educational products, arts and crafts, decorative products, floral and greenery, garden horticultural products, woodworking, lumber, biochemicals, biofuels and bioenergy.
in most regions where the land could permit the use of machinery, monoculture, or intensive farming and harvesting practices. In the beginning of the 21st century there was a new surge of interest in permaforestry practices to address social issues such as food shortages, rural impoverishment, and changes in the logging industry. Furthermore, climate change and the "green" shift have inspired many individuals to reconnect to nature and find their purpose within it. The high price of agricultural land and machinery, which had rendered it very difficult for aspiring farmers to obtain a family farm, has also contributed to the development of permaforestry on land that had been previously classified as unsuitable for agriculture.
Wildcrafting
Wildcrafting is the practice of harvesting plants from their natural, or "wild" habitat, for food or medicinal purposes. It applies to uncultivated plants wherever they may be found, and is not necessarily limited to wilderness areas...
and harvesting of the forest biomass
Biomass (ecology)
Biomass, in ecology, is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. Biomass can refer to species biomass, which is the mass of one or more species, or to community biomass, which is the mass of all species in the community. It can include microorganisms,...
that uses cultivation to improve the natural harmonious systems. It is a relationship of interdependence
Interdependence
Interdependence is a relation between its members such that each is mutually dependent on the others. This concept differs from a simple dependence relation, which implies that one member of the relationship can function or survive apart from the other....
between humans and the natural systems in which the amount of biomass available from the forest increases with the health of its natural systems.
Examples of bioproducts derived from biomass
Biomass (ecology)
Biomass, in ecology, is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. Biomass can refer to species biomass, which is the mass of one or more species, or to community biomass, which is the mass of all species in the community. It can include microorganisms,...
that are created through permaforestry:
Honey, maple syrup and other tree saps, gourmet foods, functional food
Functional food
Functional food is a food where a new ingredient has been added to a food and the new product has a new function ....
s, berries, wild mushrooms, ginseng, wild rice, herbs, fiddleheads, fish, frogs and crustaceans, pharmaceuticals, natural health products, essential oils, educational products, arts and crafts, decorative products, floral and greenery, garden horticultural products, woodworking, lumber, biochemicals, biofuels and bioenergy.
History
Permaforestry was extensively practiced by many aboriginal cultures throughout the world prior to colonization. It was replaced by modern agricultural modelsIndustrial agriculture
Industrial farming is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of livestock, poultry, fish, and crops. The methods of industrial agriculture are technoscientific, economic, and political...
in most regions where the land could permit the use of machinery, monoculture, or intensive farming and harvesting practices. In the beginning of the 21st century there was a new surge of interest in permaforestry practices to address social issues such as food shortages, rural impoverishment, and changes in the logging industry. Furthermore, climate change and the "green" shift have inspired many individuals to reconnect to nature and find their purpose within it. The high price of agricultural land and machinery, which had rendered it very difficult for aspiring farmers to obtain a family farm, has also contributed to the development of permaforestry on land that had been previously classified as unsuitable for agriculture.
See also
- AgroforestryAgroforestryAgroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock.It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems.-Definitions:According to...
- BiomassBiomassBiomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
- Biomass (ecology)Biomass (ecology)Biomass, in ecology, is the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time. Biomass can refer to species biomass, which is the mass of one or more species, or to community biomass, which is the mass of all species in the community. It can include microorganisms,...
- Bioproduct
- ForestForestA forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
- ForestryForestryForestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
- NativeNativeThe term "native" can have many different social and political connotations in different contexts. In some cases it is a neutral, descriptive term, for example, when stating that one is a native of a particular city or that a certain language is one's native language...
- Natural landscapeNatural landscapeA natural landscape is a landscape that is unaffected by human activity. A natural landscape is intact when all living and nonliving elements are free to move and change. The nonliving elements distinguish a natural landscape from a wilderness. A wilderness includes areas within which natural...
- Nontimber Forest Products
- PermaculturePermaculturePermaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
- Terra pretaTerra pretaTerra preta is a type of very dark, fertile anthropogenic soil found in the Amazon Basin. Terra preta owes its name to its very high charcoal content, and was indeed made by adding a mixture of charcoal, bone, and manure to the otherwise relatively infertile Amazonian soil, and stays there for...
- Traditional Ecological KnowledgeTraditional Ecological Knowledge"Traditional Ecological Knowledge" is an academic term referring to aboriginal, indigenous, or other forms of traditional knowledges regarding local environmental resources. TEK can be defined as "a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down...
- WildcraftingWildcraftingWildcrafting is the practice of harvesting plants from their natural, or "wild" habitat, for food or medicinal purposes. It applies to uncultivated plants wherever they may be found, and is not necessarily limited to wilderness areas...
- WildnessWildnessWildness is literally the quality of being wild or untamed, but further to this, it has been defined as a quality produced in nature , as that which emerges from a forest , and as a level of achievement in nature...
- WildernessWildernessWilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
- WildlifeWildlifeWildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
- World Forestry CongressWorld Forestry CongressThe World Forestry Congress is the largest and most significant gathering of the world's forestry sector and it has been held every six years since 1926 under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , organized by the government of the host country...