With the Mandala Gardens, in its center, a food forest (that is, a space planted with trees whose production can be used by humans for food, construction equipment, clothing, etc.) will be established to have the shape of a 5-pointed star.
In each of the 5 branches of the star, trees will be planted approximately 5 meters from each other in a way that the soil vegetation set up by the forest ecosystem will not be modified. At La evidencia, we choose this form of star for several reasons:
1. It allows to maximize the edge effect, in fact, the 2 side borders of each of the 5 branches will be transition surfaces between the food forest and a growing crop area. Indeed, areas of transition between 2 biomes are areas of increased biodiversity due to the increase in the diversity of habitats available for different species, this is what ecologists call "edge effect".
We believe that by maximizing biodiversity at La evidencia, there will be an increased opportunity to attract beneficial species to the establishment of the new dynamic and productive agroecosystem.
2. Sunlight will reach more trees within this star shape. Also, the herbaceous vegetation of the soil of the food forest will benefit from better sunshine, which will allow the abundant production of food for the herbivores who will be placed in this forest. [If you want to know more about the animals that will be in the food forest of La Evidencia, you will be happy tor read next article here]
3. This form of star makes it possible to raise animals in the food forest according to a holistic method (Explained in next article here)
4. The shape of the 5-pointed star is very common in Nature (for example: some Echinoderms, the implantation of seeds in some fruits, many flowers, some fruits, etc.). The 5-pointed star is reminiscent of the Fibonacci sequence which is a pattern of growth frequently found in plants.
The process we want to follow to plant the food forest of La Evidencia is described below:
A. Plot the 5-pointed star on the ground surface.
B. In the star, cut only trees with a trunk diameter of less than 30 cm in order to keep the mature trees. The presence of these trees, which have already lived for several years in this envirronement and adapted to local biotic and abiotic conditions, will encourage the establishment of new fruit trees, especially via the mycorrhizae network with which they are associated. [For more information on the importance of root-fungal symbiosis, please read the previous article here] By cutting down trees with a trunk diameter of less than 30 cm, we do not want to kill them, but only provide the light they absorbed to trees of interest for human consumption. For this reason, these trees will only be cut at a height of 1 m in order to make them what are called “swans”. The swans originate from a system of pruning consisting of removing the upper branches of the trees in order to stimulate its growth by «awakening» the dormant buds located under the bark. This pruning technique results in the growth of new stems and leaves at the cutting site.
We would like to create these swans about 1 m tall, so that animals of La Evidencia can easily feed on newly produced foliage, at a level below the branching and foliage of the trees of the food forest.
This technique allows us to: -) Do not reduce the biodiversity of the forest. -) Keep tree roots that are very important for soil structure and soil micro-organism communities, especially the mycorrhizae network. -) Benefit from more spaces and light for productive trees for human consumption. -) Provide a more diversified diet for animals living in the forest. -) Increase the biomass produced by the agroecosystem, while ensuring its recycling, which is equivalent to increasing the net production of the agroecosystem.
C. Plant banana trees and trees of the Fabaceae family in a fairly dense manner (2-3 meters between each individual) in the 5 branches of the star after clearing all the vegetation within a radius of 20 cm around the shoots. Bananas grow very fast, producing a lot of biomass and storing a lot of water. The trees of the Fabaceae family also have a rapid growth producing a substantial amount of biomass very rich in nitrogen thanks to the atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacteria with which the root cells live in symbiosis. [For more information on the importance of Fabaceae to the ecosystem, read previous article on soil micro-organisms and their symiosis with plants here]
D. Seeds of the fruit trees will be germinated in a “nursery” where the shoots will have the opportunity to grow protected from predators and disruptive weather conditions.
E. A banana tree and a Fabaceae tree will be pruned to provide the biomass and nutrients needed for small tree development. Piles 30 cm in diameter with pruning residues will be formed to (i) prevent the growth of other nearby plants that could compete with young trees; (ii) feed soil microorganisms and improve its fertility; (iii) keep the soil moist under the pile. It is at the centre of these piles that the young fruit trees will be planted, since the soil conditions will be perfect for the establishment and development of new roots.
F. When the young trees are large enough to survive in the forest, they will be planted in the centre of the piles of organic matter +/-5 m apart from each other.
G. The young trees will be placed according to the characteristics at the fruiting age of their species with the objective to reduce competition and optimize yield. We will take into consideration: -) Height: Tree, shrub or bushy -) Affinity for light: Sciaphile or Heliophile -) The reproduction system: Allogamy or autogamy -) Pollination: Anemogamy, entomogamy, ornitogamy or chiropterogamy
-) Architectural model.
H. Fruit trees will be regularly pruned according to their growth pattern (monopodial, sympodial monochasium or sympodial dichasium) in order to restrict their height (to facilitate harvest) and optimize production.
Most importantly, we will NEVER use pesticides, bactericides or fungicides in this forest at the risk of disrupting the leaves' protective microbiota. It is important to remember that leaves have thousands of openings on the outside, the stomata [see the next article explaining the Milpa system set up in the cropping area here], which extend through the entire thickness of the leaf to create what is called the lacunar network. The network of lacunes ensures that chlorophyll cells are in direct contact with the air from which they extract carbon dioxide in order to perform photosynthesis. These stomata are home to thousands of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) which, like the digestive flora of animals, constitute the first line of defense of the leaves against pathogenic invasions. By using chemicals that kill these microorganisms, the plant is deprived of its first line of defence against disease.
In the same vein, it will be very important to leave the dead leaves at the feet of the trees because the spores of the microbiota in leaves on the ground will inoculate the new leaves of the tree. Thus, in the succession of leaves, a part of the microbiota is transmitted, which has evolved over time to protect the leaves of that tree under those specific conditions.