Permaculture: What are the advantages of Diversity in all systems?
Answer:
i think a diverse collection of anything, whether it's organisms, architecture, cultures, or climates is much more flexible than a homogenous group. there are more places to choose, more selections to draw from in the face of adversity, and a higher likelihood that a solution will be developed by putting many different 'things' together than in using just one.
as an example, let's take the american elm tree. it was widely planted in the 1900s as a street tree. it was hardy, beautiful, and provided shade and some habitat for birds. the tree was SO successful that in many cities, it was the only tree planted along boulevards. but as happens in any monoculture, the species was at risk because it was so prevalent. dutch elm disease was introduced accidentally into north america, and spread across the nation killing off virtually all of these trees. a few individuals were left due to resistance or vaccination, but in a few short decades, cities' tree populations were decimated.
happily, science is developing dutch-elm disease resistant strains of the tree, but this illustrates how easily a system can be destroyed if all of its members are identical.
a habitat with a unique blend of situations is stronger than one without. many varieties of plants and differing lighting and elevations, for example, provide unique habitats for varied species of animals in a comparatively small area. some species require very specialized conditions in order to thrive. in the 'artificial' setting of man, a downtown is more diverse than a suburb, because it consists of a healthy 'mix' of buildings and people: businesses, industry, entertainment, commerce, residential, and transportation. all categories are capable of interacting with each of the others, and leading to something which is greater than its individual parts.
in diversity is strength- and the capacity to change.
BIO DIVERSITY
bio diversity is important every where because it creates balanced eco systems.
for example a tree requires certain chemicals and also discards certain chemicals.
too many of one specie demands to much of the soil and exhausts the soil of the chemicals it requieres and so saturates the soil with its secretions and in this way upsets the balance,
Too much of the same chemical output the soil gets poluted,
.
Natures law of HARMONY or EQUILIBRIUM
In Nature everthing and every one is welcome but something in excess is called a plague and Nature responds with preditors or sickness (which are preditors at bacterial levels)
Specific plants and trees have specific insects and animals that are associated with them
With bio diversity of species of flora ,there is a a variety of insects ,with a variety of species(like birds) who eat them ,
And a subsequent variety of preditors following,creating a chain of biological events of great variety which enhances the quality of Nature instead of diminishing it .
So there is no excess of any thing in particular just a multitude of life.bio diversity
A bio diverse forest consisting of many different species is the best for all situations,
Therefore bio diverse systems are always the healthiest
this is why we hardy ever see sickness or plagues in nature or if we do never for long.
Many plagues are caused by humans,who have destroyed links and so the natural balance is gone.
A sign of an eco system in trouble, is plagues of caterpillars,
which can happen if all the kids kill all the birds with their catapults.
Just think that whatever is killed ,its food is still walking around,
or if the food is destroyed the ones that depend on that are gone ,
As happened when they sprayed the mosquito´s on the banks of the Danube ,the forests became empty of life,because the basic links in the food chain were gone
Bio diversity of Flora and Fauna is interelated ,and so is fragile and easy to offset
And the bottom line is that Variety is the spice of life and its health
Permaculture seeks to follow these Natural principles ,when planting ,to have the least negative effects and so that little counter action is needed
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
Organic pest control and growing your own
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
A disadvantage for comercial farming would be that instead of having huge quantities of one crop,we end up with a great variety,which is not viable in terms of comerce ,with harvesting ,packaging and marketing
But then Permaculture is not aimed at comercial farming it means to make it in great parts obsolete
by having a great number of small growers who plant for the quality of their lives ,not for the market
and to encourage local trading or interchange
However many principles of Permaculture can be applied to comercial farming
High biodiversity is an indicator of health in an ecosystem. This is an advantage often overlooked until it is too late or drastic measures must be implemented.
Another advantage is that down the line, there's a better gene pool available, and less chance of a biological meltdown when a species becomes bottlenecked and problems occur because species numbers were allowed to dwindle below the danger zone.
The answers post by the user, for information only, FunQA.com does not guarantee the right.
More Questions and Answers: