III+-+Design+Methods

**III - Design Methods : Decide What To Do**
(under contruction) back to topics

Prepare for Design

 * Overall Goal
 * Process : Collecting information, Analysis, Site Planning, Establishment, Maintenance and Monitoring, Design Evaluation
 * Tools : Field tools, Survey, Drawing

Design Strategies and Perspectives

 * Choice of Elements: Plants, Animals, Soils, Mushrooms & Fungi
 * Design Type : Incremental
 * Stacking in Space and Time

**Design Main Methods**

 * Use of Natural Forces : Light, Water, Wind, Ground
 * Application of Concepts or a Master Pattern : Layers, Succession, Niche, Guilds, Soil building, Flows(Water, Nutrient), Zones, Edges
 * Connecting characteristics of components by listing
 * Adopting lessons learnt from nature
 * Extending Flow Diagrams
 * Expanding on direct observations of a site
 * Selection of options or pathways based on decisions
 * Following map overlays
 * Assessing the results of random assemblies
 * Zoning of information and ethics

**Planning Maintenance**

 * Goal Assesment
 * Design Functionality
 * Monitor and Control
 * Ecosystem maintenance : Harvest, Preserve, Propagate



Use of Natural Forces : Light, Water, Wind, Ground
In permaculture we use all natural forces available in site. When a natural force is a problem we try to turn it into a solution. A water resource can take different forms; rainwater, humidity, salty seawater, lake, undergroundwater, waste water. The underground water is most commonly used for agricultural purpose but in permaculture it is considered as a nature reserve which should be used with consideration and only if the other forms of water are not present. Rainwater is the more pure form of water which should be collected and stocked. Finally the polluted water should be treated and returned pure to nature. Waste water can be black water (which comes from toilets) or greywater which is a very important resource. Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water. Water collected from the ground, sometimes from areas that are especially prepared for this purpose, is called Stormwater harvesting. Rainwater harvesting systems can be simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations. Roof rainwater may not be potable and may require treatment before consumption. As rainwater rushes from your roof it may carry pollutants, such as mercury from coal burning buildings, or bird feces. Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that would be harmful to human health as drinking water, it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden, and washing cars; these uses alone half the amount of water used by a typical home. Overflow from rainwater harvesting tank systems can be used to refill aquifers in a process called groundwater recharge; though this is a related process, it must not be confused with rainwater harvesting. It is important that the system is sized to meet the water demand throughout the dry season. In general, the size of the storage tank should be big enough to meet the daily water requirement throughout the dry season. In addition, the size of the catchment area or roof should be large enough to fill the tank. Permaculture systems harvest rainwater in the site scale by using damns, natural or constructed swales and other smaller features like underground clay pots.
 * ===Water===
 * ====**Rainwater**====
 * [[image:http://www.rainham-history.co.uk/photos/water_saving/IMG_9405.JPG width="314" height="209"]] || [[image:http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5I7pp4Y04dE/TgAWhINVlII/AAAAAAAAASE/2N15gIrCTaE/s1600/swale5.jpg width="215" height="209"]] || [[image:http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2668/3779879818_ec0f3c51e3_z.jpg width="324" height="217"]] ||
 * Rainwater tank || Swale || Stone swale ||

The term humidity is used to describe the amount of water vapor in the air. Humidity condensation occurs when one surface temperature is lower than that of the humid air around it. The moisture vapour in the air changes into liquid water on contact with these cold surfaces. Through a process known as condensation, atmospheric water vapour from the air naturally condenses on cold surfaces into droplets of liquid water known as dew. The phenomenon is most observable on thin, flat, exposed objects including plant leaves and blades of grass. As the exposed surface cools by radiating its heat to the sky, atmospheric moisture condenses at a rate greater than that of which it can evaporate, resulting in the formation of water droplets.
 * ====**Humidity and moisture**====

Along coastline, warmer land surface causes cool in-land air flow. When this air is humid, it can fall on leaves as condensation (droplets of water). Condensation often occur at the edge of the glazing because this is where cold air is more likely to seep through. Stones and stone walls are good condensation materials while fog collectors, simple, flat, rectangular nets of nylon supported by a post at either end and arranged perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing wind, are used to harvest water. In permaculture design for dryland there is big research on condensation collectors and materials keeping moisture.

Greywate is leftover water from baths, showers, hand basins and washing machines.The water leaving our homes carries nutrients. The water itself is also of value, an increasingly limited resource especially in dry climates. It may also contain pathogens, and/or harsh chemicals and care should be taken with it. Salt and soap residues can be toxic to microbial and plant life alike, but can be absorbed and degraded through constructed wetlands and aquatic plants such as sedges (Cyperacaea, Scirpus, Carex) rushes like (Juncus effusus), reedbed and grasses.Also smaller scale greywater systems can be used.
 * ====**Grey-water**====
 * [[image:http://www.wetlandspacific.com/images/stories/leachate-treatment-with-constructed-wetland.jpg width="277" height="203"]] || [[image:http://www.francepark.com/cell.jpg width="358" height="231"]] || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Day_36_Occupy_Wall_Street_October_21_2011_Shankbone_5.JPG width="239" height="193"]] ||
 * //WetlandsPacific Corp.// contructed wetland || //France Parc// contructed wetland || //Ows// greywater system ||

Plantings of reedbeds are popular in European constructed wetlands, and plants such as cattails (Typha spp.), sedges, Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and Pontederia spp. are used worldwide (although Typha and Phragmites are highly invasive). Recent research in use of constructed wetlands for subarctic regions has shown that buckbeans (Menyanthes trifoliata) and pendant grass (Arctophila fulva) are also useful for metals uptake. A number of stages of filtration and microbial digestion can be used to provide water for washing or flushing toilets. Given that greywater may contain nutrients, pathogens, and is often discharged warm, it is very important to store it before use in irrigation purposes, unless it is properly treated first. Slow filter can be constructed using graded layers of sand with the coarsest sand, along with some gravel, at the bottom and finest sand at the top.

Different plant species are necessary in each of four depth-zones: 0–20 centimetres (0–7.9 in), 40–60 centimetres (16–24 in), 60–120 centimetres (24–47 in) and greater than 120 centimeters (47 in).
 * 1) __Water purifying__: Plants purify water by consuming excess nutrients and by de-acidifying it by removing carbon dioxide. Some best examples for temperate climate: Nymphea alba(depth 60-120cm), Phragmites australis (invasive), Sparganium erectum (depth 60-120cm), Iris pseudacorus (depth 0-20cm) (invasive), Schoenoplectus lacustris, Carex acutiformis,
 * 2) __Oxygen-supplying__ for temperate climate: Stratiotes aloides (depth 40-60cm), Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (depth 40-60cm) (Extremely invasive), Acorus calamus.
 * 3) __Shade/refuge-supplying__:Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (depth 40-60cm), Nuphar lutea (depth 60-120cm), develops floating leaf.
 * 4) Other organismes help purification like fishes and bacteria (they can be grown by submerging straw (or other plant material) in water for several days, the bacteria automatically populate the material). For ecologic/self-purifying ponds, de-nutrified soil needs to be taken for the plants to prevent the possible growth of algae. Coconut fibre (maybe palm fibre?) growing medium is best used to prevent soil from being spread around and to sometimes to let the plants root in.

__Species to use for different polluants__ Cattail, bulrush, reed and sedge species are all common in constructed wetland ecosystems. They play various roles in a constructed wetland. Some remove heavy metals, while others are more skilled at removing organic matter. Phragmites australis, the common reed, is often used in water treatment in Europe to remove nitrogen. However, it can be invasive in North America and Australia. Duckweed (Lemnoideae family) also removes nitrogen and phosphorus. Typha has shown promise for removing heavy metals, and for those who weave, its vegetation can be used for mats and baskets. Iris and water hyacinth can also remove heavy metals such as lead, copper, zinc, nickel and cadmium, but take care, as water hyacinth can also be invasive in many locales. As with all choices of wetland plants for the garden, plant species should be chosen with local ecology in mind. Always check with local wetland plant experts to ensure that a species is not invasive in local wetlands. Many wetland species breed and spread easily! A wetland garden can be full of life. It can also add to the sustainability of a home by allowing a gardener to conserve and reuse gray water. Turn a pond or a wet garden into a place that works for the planet by reframing it as a water treatment system.

Alternative technologies for Fresh water [|Marsh Plants that Clean Grey Water] Wikipedia Appropedia Pilerensning method C ontructed wetland
 * References**
 * See also**