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Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

The following is the glossary we provide in the Introduction to Permaculture course. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just a few of the good-to-know terms pertaining to the field of permaculture.

Biomass – total mass of living or recently-living organic matter in a given space

Blackwater – water containing human waste

“Chop and Drop” – Cutting down plants and laying them on the soil as a green manure (see below)

Fast carbon pathways – plants with fast life cycles producing lots of carbon which seed very quickly such as club root, dandelion, knapweed, chickweed and amaranth. These plants are trying to turn soil that is too high in nitrogen back to a state of balance with more carbon.

Global Bucket – A device made with one bucket  inserted inside another with a wicking material set in water for the purpose of keeping soil moist for long periods


Green manure – plants grown specifically as a cover crop which are cut down and placed on the soil for the purposes of fertilization, mulching and for soil improvement

Greywater - Greywater can be defined as any water originating from household plumbing that does not contain human waste
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Guild - a group of plants whose needs and yields match up in such as way as to make the entire group of plants stronger than they would otherwise have been on their own.


Macrofauna – Soil life which is visible to the naked eye, such as earthworms, arthropods, and insect larvae

Microfauna – Soil life usually invisible to the naked eye, such as bacteria

Mycoremediation – Making use of certain fungal species for their ability to break down and rid soil of toxic waste and contaminants

Myccorhizae – A symbiotic relationship between fungal organisms and plants that occurs in a healthy soil

Needs - In Permaculture this refers to the elements required by each component in a system.

Pioneer species – The first plants to arrive at a disturbed or damaged site. They help repair and improve the soil for future plant species.

Sectors – The energies flowing through a landscape

Swale – A trench dug on the contour of the land for the purpose of harvesting and storing water


Wicking Bed - A self-watering planting bed, designed to irrigate soil from beneath, allowing soil to "wick" water upward toward plant roots via capillary action.

Yields - In Permaculture, yields are the elements obtained from various components in a living system which fulfill a given need.

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Zones – Areas numbered from 0-5 representing the energies already present and available on a landscape


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  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Grow Your Food 101
    • PDC Course
    • Designs >
      • Prairie Sage Pre-Consult Questionaire
    • Tours >
      • 2023 Calgary Permaculture Tour
  • What Is Permaculture?
    • Definition
    • Benefits of Permaculture
    • The Background
    • Strategies
    • The 12 Principles of Permaculture
    • Glossary of Terms
  • Prairie Sage Online
  • Media Page
  • Extras
    • Good Food >
      • Butter Chicken
      • Quinoa Tabouleh Salad
      • Salad Recipe
      • Ted's Ginger Kombucha
      • Ted's Ginger Syrup
      • Veggie Burger Recipe # 1
  • Tomatoes