Advertisement
1Sector Analysis
2 Infrastructure
3 site limiting factors
4 Non-native species
5 Soils
The energy & resources allocated to projects will vary depending on how much impact they will have on people and/or local ecology. Dependant on the impact, various considerations for planning, implamentation, and maintenance will come into play. So far as the covenant is concerned, we will discuss Sector Analysis (understanding our relationship to energy pathways such as solar, wind, fire regime, hydrology and others), Infrastructure (the ‘improvements’ to the property such as well maintenance and water distribution, electrical power, and roads), native and non native flora and fauna, and a special section on soils will begin our basic outline of Abundance. This will be followed by a discussion of Permaculture ‘Zones’, or areas of activity.
Sector Analysis:
Sector analysis is a tool used to determine where site energies flow, conflict, synchronize and otherwise create a specific local. One can think of a site as the center of a circular graph which layers various energy in a graphic analysis. One input is the solar energy. We can determine the potential for solar power, for instance, by knowing our latitude (46.008N) and the ‘average solar days annually’; this is easily calculable, and may even be determinable form online resources, though many sites, including the Western Regional Climate Center (www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/clilcd.pl do not provide this specific information. More research is pending.. Prevailing winds are also easily determined, in our case, our general conditions in the fall, winter and spring is an easterly, while summer often gives us an westerly. Microclimatic conditions prevailing on the ground, however, can generate a reversal of this, especially in the fall. This is likely due to Von Karman vortices created by the local topography. Annual rainfall averages are also conveniently found online (www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/clilcd.pl we get about 68 inches. Most of this comes with easterly winds, blown up the Columbia river lowlands and into the Kalama River valley. Soils are hygrophoric (meaning they absorb atmospheric humidity well), and drain well. Slopes and range from 5% to 50%; plant ‘competition’ is cited as severe by the USGS survey of the county.
Now, imagine all of these factors plotted together to predict a energy flow- fire regime for instance. These factors combine to make a landscape which has a moderate to high fire regime resilliance; furthermore, aerial photos and visual observation tell us where fire breaks are (roads, perennial stream beds) as well as where approach vectors are- in our case, the west south west is our biggest avenue of wild fire threat. This approach features Weyerhaeuser’s uniform monocrop of Douglas fir, an understory often filled with dry, dead branches of these trees, desiccated soils supporting no understory foliage, and prevailing winds assailing an uphill slope. It is here that fire breaks, including dense foliage, water storage both in ground and in the form of ponds should be implemented. Fortunately, because of the regions annual rainfall and the sites hydric capacity, even here the chance of fire approaching is still relatively low. Using sector analysis to determine how any one sector- solar, wind, fire, etc., will play out with others will be one of the first priorities of the stakeholder group as they begin the process of developing a stewardship covenant. See Appendix D, Section #2, Sector and Zone Analysis.
Infrastructure:
Development and maintenance of various amenities on site which provide for power, access and egress (roads), and water, will greatly improve the ease of living which residents and guests enjoy. However, keeping in accord with Permacultural Principals and Ethics, it is critical that these improvements do not cause decline of the environmental and ecological quality, either on or off site. Analytical inquiry into each proposed infrastructure amenity will allow us to turn off-site data and materials into onsite services. By identifying site limiting factors, and working within them, we move to create an enduring container for the relationships and work we seek to experience.
For instance, Abundance currently has a well which produces 90 gallons of water a minute at 50 lbs. of pressure. The off site data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the per person daily domestic use of an average American is 380 gallons (source: www.epa.gov/OW/you/chap1.html). The logistics leading to this are highly disputable in terms of household use. For instance, the site states that 41% of water use is for flushing toilets. This comes to about 155 gallons per person daily, or 30+ flushes in even a high volume (5.0 gallon) toilet. By looking at various sources we can come to accurate estimates of what onsite water use may look like. However, the data posed by the EPA isn’t wrong, its simply poorly framed. When one considers all the external water uses relied on by Americans in their daily activities (industrial uses, such as water for cooling plants at aluminum facilities which produce soda and beer cans for instance), the overall estimate is likely accurate. That parcel of knowledge can be saved for later considerations.
Therefore, even based on the highly disputable EPA estimate, in one hour we can conceivably produce enough water for 14 residents. After consideration of the effects of flush toilets and laundry on the site water cycle, uses which requires extensive and expensive treatment prior to landscape application, we may choose to standardize low and no water options, such as composting privies, low volume washing machines, and other technologies that minimize water use. By designing to minimize resource use, we maximize its potential for future use.
Conscientious Stewardship demands that we critically examine the consumption assumptions which we adapt as standard, and that the construction of site infrastructure recognize site limits and balances, remaining within them. Many infrastructure issues will require research and deep consideration. This will include the construction & repair of roads such that they are not easily deteriorated, nor prone to create erosive runoff in times of heavy rain. Another consideration that will call for research is power generation; micro-hydroelectric and solar power may be generated through the development of hybrid system combining the potential of the onsite annual stream, the topography, and the solar potential, which in summer months is quite high- a nice balance to the low flow on the stream during the months of july-October. In any case, determination of capital expenses, lifecycle value engineering and ecological assessment prior to investment in infrastructures will allow for the creation of systems which are holistically designed, thus assuring the systems viability as the site evolves.
Site Limiting Factors:
There are two major kinds of limiting factors at play in this project.
The first is the physical reality of the site- limits to access and egress owing to topography and ecological balances, limits to resources based on biotic production, soil constitution, hydrology and other factors, Limits to the amount of onsite energy production based on annual rain, in stream holding capacity and head, or drop of water from hold to generator, for the production of electricity, and limits to the amount of space and the balance which can be met in terms of food production and maintenance of ecological balance.
The second limiting factor is law of the land, in this case primarily Washington State Legislation and Cowlitz County Code. Cowlitz county has Zoned this area as 1 residence per 5 acres (r/5). A residence is a home for a group of related individuals. We have 16.44 acres technically, and according to the according to the matrix could place four residences on the site. Without going into the effects on landscape and ecology in conventional building protocol, I simply submit that the results would be disastrous. However, the Cowlitz Code has a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which allows for interesting possibilities. By sharing a road and clustering the houses, another single unit is allowed per four r/5 units. In addition, the integration of passive solar design, and other ‘green’ technologies also qualify for an additional until per four r/5 units. Finally, the development of a conservation easement which protects the remainder of the property allows another unit per four r/5 units. This means 6, potentially 7 units can be developed on the existing 16.44 acres. The addition of Lot #B, adjoining but kept as a conservation
block, would increase the potential units to 10 or 12.
This is not to say that the property should have this many residences. It does, however, set a legal limit to the project scope in terms of the size of the ecovillage. Assessment of micro-hydro and solar power generation, a more complete look at the potential site industries, an evaluation of water resources and needs, etc., will allow the stakeholders to fully declare a path to setting site limits within the covenant.
Non natives, Colonizers, Invasives & Noxious Plants…and other “questionable” presences…
For the purpose of this discussion, species will be considered Non native species if they have been introduced to the bioregion in the period since the first European colonialists arrived, about 175 years . By this definition, the current composition of Abundance is rich in both native and non-native diversity, with over 100 species represented in the non native, and perhaps 200 in the native category. Th non native plants includes species of agricultural, ecological, and ornamental value as well as species typified as aggressive invasives, weeds, and noxious invasives. A simple declaration of tolerance or intolerance for non-native species of flora will not likely result in favorable development of stewardship goals. For a list of many of the species as of the fall 2006 survey, please refer to appendix E, table 2. Management of these species will be tailored to each individual species. Typical management goals may include options such as ‘annual cultivation’, ‘feral allowance’, ‘casual eradication’ and ‘active eradication’. The choice of any given goal will be dependant on the species interaction with the overall ecology, and which zone the non native is present in, i.e., apples and other tree fruits will receive annual cultivation in zones 2-3, Foxglove (Digitalis pupurea) will be allowed to grow feral in all zones so long as they present no substantial obstruction to other management priorities, Himalayan Blackberries (Rubus discolor) will be casually eradicated in zones 1-3, meaning that as time permits any established throng will be eliminated, and species such as Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) and English ivy (Hedera helix) will in all instances be eliminated on sight and with extreme prejudice. For a complete discussion on non native species at Abundance please see Appendix E.
SOILS-
Soils are an impact prone resource and respond directly to management. The process by which we manage and maintain the site will directly impact the soils we live above and rely upon. Because the soils are the basis of the sites biotic productivity, we should do all in our power to conserve, cultivate and otherwise benefit the soils of the site. Different zones and activities will require different soil management and maintenance considerations- for instance, goals for our garden soil include a high CEC (cation exchange coefficient), maintenance of a specific minimum percent of organic matter, a diversified Ph according to cultivar preferences, and appropriate hydric capacity so as to benefit plant growth and health. However, the soils under a construction project do not require such conditioning. They will however, need to be firm and have adequate stability for bearing loads. They must drain well and not be prone to slide or shift. Forest soils will tend to resemble the garden soils, but will become unsuitable for many native species if composted, or if changes in Ph occur. Level of disturbance in the forest should remain primarily autochthonous (originating internally), thus benefiting the herbaceous layer and reducing the chance of vector pathogens, such as harmful nematodes and funguses to infect the stand. The type of soil we, as stewards, will cultivate for is highly dependant on the use, and the use we aim for is dependant on its assumed affect upon the balance of the overall system we inhabit and design. Therefore soil management is specific to given areas of development and activity, and effort should be made to understand how soil health means different things in different places even in a small area of reference such as the 10 yards of edge between the gardens and the orchards. For more considerations regarding soils, review Appendix XXX, (food soil web& woodlot management).
2 Infrastructure
3 site limiting factors
4 Non-native species
5 Soils
The energy & resources allocated to projects will vary depending on how much impact they will have on people and/or local ecology. Dependant on the impact, various considerations for planning, implamentation, and maintenance will come into play. So far as the covenant is concerned, we will discuss Sector Analysis (understanding our relationship to energy pathways such as solar, wind, fire regime, hydrology and others), Infrastructure (the ‘improvements’ to the property such as well maintenance and water distribution, electrical power, and roads), native and non native flora and fauna, and a special section on soils will begin our basic outline of Abundance. This will be followed by a discussion of Permaculture ‘Zones’, or areas of activity.
Sector Analysis:
Sector analysis is a tool used to determine where site energies flow, conflict, synchronize and otherwise create a specific local. One can think of a site as the center of a circular graph which layers various energy in a graphic analysis. One input is the solar energy. We can determine the potential for solar power, for instance, by knowing our latitude (46.008N) and the ‘average solar days annually’; this is easily calculable, and may even be determinable form online resources, though many sites, including the Western Regional Climate Center (www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/clilcd.pl do not provide this specific information. More research is pending.. Prevailing winds are also easily determined, in our case, our general conditions in the fall, winter and spring is an easterly, while summer often gives us an westerly. Microclimatic conditions prevailing on the ground, however, can generate a reversal of this, especially in the fall. This is likely due to Von Karman vortices created by the local topography. Annual rainfall averages are also conveniently found online (www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/clilcd.pl we get about 68 inches. Most of this comes with easterly winds, blown up the Columbia river lowlands and into the Kalama River valley. Soils are hygrophoric (meaning they absorb atmospheric humidity well), and drain well. Slopes and range from 5% to 50%; plant ‘competition’ is cited as severe by the USGS survey of the county.
Now, imagine all of these factors plotted together to predict a energy flow- fire regime for instance. These factors combine to make a landscape which has a moderate to high fire regime resilliance; furthermore, aerial photos and visual observation tell us where fire breaks are (roads, perennial stream beds) as well as where approach vectors are- in our case, the west south west is our biggest avenue of wild fire threat. This approach features Weyerhaeuser’s uniform monocrop of Douglas fir, an understory often filled with dry, dead branches of these trees, desiccated soils supporting no understory foliage, and prevailing winds assailing an uphill slope. It is here that fire breaks, including dense foliage, water storage both in ground and in the form of ponds should be implemented. Fortunately, because of the regions annual rainfall and the sites hydric capacity, even here the chance of fire approaching is still relatively low. Using sector analysis to determine how any one sector- solar, wind, fire, etc., will play out with others will be one of the first priorities of the stakeholder group as they begin the process of developing a stewardship covenant. See Appendix D, Section #2, Sector and Zone Analysis.
Infrastructure:
Development and maintenance of various amenities on site which provide for power, access and egress (roads), and water, will greatly improve the ease of living which residents and guests enjoy. However, keeping in accord with Permacultural Principals and Ethics, it is critical that these improvements do not cause decline of the environmental and ecological quality, either on or off site. Analytical inquiry into each proposed infrastructure amenity will allow us to turn off-site data and materials into onsite services. By identifying site limiting factors, and working within them, we move to create an enduring container for the relationships and work we seek to experience.
For instance, Abundance currently has a well which produces 90 gallons of water a minute at 50 lbs. of pressure. The off site data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the per person daily domestic use of an average American is 380 gallons (source: www.epa.gov/OW/you/chap1.html). The logistics leading to this are highly disputable in terms of household use. For instance, the site states that 41% of water use is for flushing toilets. This comes to about 155 gallons per person daily, or 30+ flushes in even a high volume (5.0 gallon) toilet. By looking at various sources we can come to accurate estimates of what onsite water use may look like. However, the data posed by the EPA isn’t wrong, its simply poorly framed. When one considers all the external water uses relied on by Americans in their daily activities (industrial uses, such as water for cooling plants at aluminum facilities which produce soda and beer cans for instance), the overall estimate is likely accurate. That parcel of knowledge can be saved for later considerations.
Therefore, even based on the highly disputable EPA estimate, in one hour we can conceivably produce enough water for 14 residents. After consideration of the effects of flush toilets and laundry on the site water cycle, uses which requires extensive and expensive treatment prior to landscape application, we may choose to standardize low and no water options, such as composting privies, low volume washing machines, and other technologies that minimize water use. By designing to minimize resource use, we maximize its potential for future use.
Conscientious Stewardship demands that we critically examine the consumption assumptions which we adapt as standard, and that the construction of site infrastructure recognize site limits and balances, remaining within them. Many infrastructure issues will require research and deep consideration. This will include the construction & repair of roads such that they are not easily deteriorated, nor prone to create erosive runoff in times of heavy rain. Another consideration that will call for research is power generation; micro-hydroelectric and solar power may be generated through the development of hybrid system combining the potential of the onsite annual stream, the topography, and the solar potential, which in summer months is quite high- a nice balance to the low flow on the stream during the months of july-October. In any case, determination of capital expenses, lifecycle value engineering and ecological assessment prior to investment in infrastructures will allow for the creation of systems which are holistically designed, thus assuring the systems viability as the site evolves.
Site Limiting Factors:
There are two major kinds of limiting factors at play in this project.
The first is the physical reality of the site- limits to access and egress owing to topography and ecological balances, limits to resources based on biotic production, soil constitution, hydrology and other factors, Limits to the amount of onsite energy production based on annual rain, in stream holding capacity and head, or drop of water from hold to generator, for the production of electricity, and limits to the amount of space and the balance which can be met in terms of food production and maintenance of ecological balance.
The second limiting factor is law of the land, in this case primarily Washington State Legislation and Cowlitz County Code. Cowlitz county has Zoned this area as 1 residence per 5 acres (r/5). A residence is a home for a group of related individuals. We have 16.44 acres technically, and according to the according to the matrix could place four residences on the site. Without going into the effects on landscape and ecology in conventional building protocol, I simply submit that the results would be disastrous. However, the Cowlitz Code has a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which allows for interesting possibilities. By sharing a road and clustering the houses, another single unit is allowed per four r/5 units. In addition, the integration of passive solar design, and other ‘green’ technologies also qualify for an additional until per four r/5 units. Finally, the development of a conservation easement which protects the remainder of the property allows another unit per four r/5 units. This means 6, potentially 7 units can be developed on the existing 16.44 acres. The addition of Lot #B, adjoining but kept as a conservation
block, would increase the potential units to 10 or 12.
This is not to say that the property should have this many residences. It does, however, set a legal limit to the project scope in terms of the size of the ecovillage. Assessment of micro-hydro and solar power generation, a more complete look at the potential site industries, an evaluation of water resources and needs, etc., will allow the stakeholders to fully declare a path to setting site limits within the covenant.
Non natives, Colonizers, Invasives & Noxious Plants…and other “questionable” presences…
For the purpose of this discussion, species will be considered Non native species if they have been introduced to the bioregion in the period since the first European colonialists arrived, about 175 years . By this definition, the current composition of Abundance is rich in both native and non-native diversity, with over 100 species represented in the non native, and perhaps 200 in the native category. Th non native plants includes species of agricultural, ecological, and ornamental value as well as species typified as aggressive invasives, weeds, and noxious invasives. A simple declaration of tolerance or intolerance for non-native species of flora will not likely result in favorable development of stewardship goals. For a list of many of the species as of the fall 2006 survey, please refer to appendix E, table 2. Management of these species will be tailored to each individual species. Typical management goals may include options such as ‘annual cultivation’, ‘feral allowance’, ‘casual eradication’ and ‘active eradication’. The choice of any given goal will be dependant on the species interaction with the overall ecology, and which zone the non native is present in, i.e., apples and other tree fruits will receive annual cultivation in zones 2-3, Foxglove (Digitalis pupurea) will be allowed to grow feral in all zones so long as they present no substantial obstruction to other management priorities, Himalayan Blackberries (Rubus discolor) will be casually eradicated in zones 1-3, meaning that as time permits any established throng will be eliminated, and species such as Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) and English ivy (Hedera helix) will in all instances be eliminated on sight and with extreme prejudice. For a complete discussion on non native species at Abundance please see Appendix E.
SOILS-
Soils are an impact prone resource and respond directly to management. The process by which we manage and maintain the site will directly impact the soils we live above and rely upon. Because the soils are the basis of the sites biotic productivity, we should do all in our power to conserve, cultivate and otherwise benefit the soils of the site. Different zones and activities will require different soil management and maintenance considerations- for instance, goals for our garden soil include a high CEC (cation exchange coefficient), maintenance of a specific minimum percent of organic matter, a diversified Ph according to cultivar preferences, and appropriate hydric capacity so as to benefit plant growth and health. However, the soils under a construction project do not require such conditioning. They will however, need to be firm and have adequate stability for bearing loads. They must drain well and not be prone to slide or shift. Forest soils will tend to resemble the garden soils, but will become unsuitable for many native species if composted, or if changes in Ph occur. Level of disturbance in the forest should remain primarily autochthonous (originating internally), thus benefiting the herbaceous layer and reducing the chance of vector pathogens, such as harmful nematodes and funguses to infect the stand. The type of soil we, as stewards, will cultivate for is highly dependant on the use, and the use we aim for is dependant on its assumed affect upon the balance of the overall system we inhabit and design. Therefore soil management is specific to given areas of development and activity, and effort should be made to understand how soil health means different things in different places even in a small area of reference such as the 10 yards of edge between the gardens and the orchards. For more considerations regarding soils, review Appendix XXX, (food soil web& woodlot management).
posted by:
|
Unsubscribed |
Advertisement
Advertisement
