By enabling systems to exhibit their own development, permaculture follows a philosophy of working with nature rather than against it, of long-term observation rather than hasty action, of considering systems in all of their roles rather than focusing on a single output. To put it another way, the vast majority of the species (and biomass) in a farmed environment are meant for human consumption or the use of animals. A small portion of the entire primordial or natural species assemblage is...