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An innovation of permaculture design was the appreciation of the efficiency and productivity of natural ecosystems and to seek to apply this efficiency to the way human needs for food and shelter are met. David Holmgren is perhaps the most noted of these thinkers. He based much of his permaculture design innovation on zone analysis. Permaculture zones group or classify three dimensional areas according to the level of human attention that is needed in order to maintain the sustainable function of each zone.
- Zone 0 is the house, or home centre. Here the application of permaculture principles would be aimed at reducing energy and water needs, making efficient use of natural natural resources such as sunlight, and creating a harmonious sustainable environment in which to live generally. (Note: The zones do not have to be these things exactly).
- Zone 1 - Is the zone that is nearest the house, and therfore the location for those elements within the system that require frequent attention.
- Zone 2 - Would include the vegetable garden, larger scale compost bins and perhaps bee hives.
- Zone 3 - Where perhaps crops are grown, for both domestic and for trading purposes. This would also include orchards. After the initial establishment, the care and maintenance requirements are relatively minimal providing systems like mulches are used. Watering or weed control is once a week or so.
- Zone 4 - Semi-wild. Used for things like timber production from coppice managed woodland and for the placement of aquaculture ponds.
- Zone 5 - The wilderness. There is no human intervention here except for the observation of natural eco-systems and cycles. It is in this permaculture zone where we learn the most important lessons of the first permaculture principle being working with nature and not against it..
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