PDC Principles & Ethics of Permaculture 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of David Holmgren's 12 principles is best illustrated by harvesting rainwater before it leaves a property?
- Observe and interact
- Catch and store energy (Correct answer)
- Use small and slow solutions
- Produce no waste
Correct answer: Catch and store energy
Catching and storing energy refers to capturing resources like water, sunlight, and nutrients when they are abundant for use when they are scarce.
Question 2: The permaculture principle 'Apply self-regulation and accept feedback' is most directly linked to which concept from ecology?
- Succession
- Negative feedback loops (Correct answer)
- Biomimicry
- Guild formation
Correct answer: Negative feedback loops
Negative feedback loops create self-correcting systems, which is the ecological basis for applying self-regulation and accepting feedback in design.
Question 3: A designer places high-use elements closest to the home to minimize energy expenditure. This reflects which permaculture principle?
- Use edges and value the marginal
- Use small and slow solutions
- Obtain a yield (Correct answer)
- Each element performs multiple functions
Correct answer: Obtain a yield
Obtaining a yield means designing systems that reward the designer's effort, which includes placing frequently visited elements where they require the least energy to maintain.
Question 4: Holmgren's principle 'Design from patterns to details' draws inspiration from which type of observation?
- Economic market analysis
- Soil chemistry testing
- Nature's large-scale patterns like water flow and wind (Correct answer)
- Seed germination rates
Correct answer: Nature's large-scale patterns like water flow and wind
Starting from broad natural patterns—such as watershed shape, prevailing wind direction, or seasonal sun angles—before filling in details is the foundation of this principle.
Question 5: Which statement best describes the permaculture ethic of 'Fair Share' (also called Return of Surplus)?
- Distribute profits equally among all workers
- Limit consumption and redistribute surplus to support Earth Care and People Care (Correct answer)
- Ensure all members of a community receive equal land allotments
- Trade surplus produce at market value to fund future projects
Correct answer: Limit consumption and redistribute surplus to support Earth Care and People Care
Fair Share means setting limits on consumption and reinvesting surplus back into the system and community rather than accumulating it indefinitely.
Question 6: The principle 'Use and value diversity' is best supported by which ecological observation?
- Monocultures have higher per-acre yields in the short term
- Diverse systems are more resilient to pests, disease, and climate variability (Correct answer)
- Specialization maximizes nutrient cycling efficiency
- Single-species plantings are easier to manage mechanically
Correct answer: Diverse systems are more resilient to pests, disease, and climate variability
Diverse ecosystems buffer against failure because no single pest, disease, or climate event can devastate all species simultaneously.
Question 7: When a permaculture designer says 'the problem is the solution,' they are expressing which underlying principle?
- Creatively use and respond to change (Correct answer)
- Produce no waste
- Every element should serve multiple functions
- Use edges and value the marginal
Correct answer: Creatively use and respond to change
Creatively using and responding to change means reframing apparent problems—like a slope prone to erosion—as design opportunities, such as a location for water harvesting swales.
PDC Principles & Ethics of Permaculture 2
Which of David Holmgren's 12 principles is best illustrated by harvesting rainwater before it leaves a property?