Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Scientific literature regarding forest garden systems highlights the potential for nature analogous species assemblages or polycultures. This literature forms a conceptual framework for analog species selection during the design process; taking plant structure, function, phenology and soil preferences into account along with additionality provided by potential yields (food, fibre, medicine) and facilitative actions such as nitrogen fixation. These criteria were applied to a worked example of a forest garden polyculture, modelling the significant potential for nature analogous designs. Results show that it is theoretically possible to create a polyculture of five different successional layers that is both productive, yielding food, fibre and medicine, and analogous with a native species assemblage that might ordinarily establish under a natural process of succession.
DOI: 10.55706/jae1713
Authors: Agroforestry Advisor, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, Andrew Walton
Language: English
Subfield: Forestry
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4402321617