A pattern language

I'm reading the chapter 3 of Edible Forest Gardens (vol II) book, A Forest Garden Pattern Language. The author introduces the Forest Garden Pattern Language (FGPL) comparing this language with the Spoken Pattern Language. The FGPL contains the equivalent of words, phrases and parts of speech: forms of shape, structure, material, formation and function. We structure and describe any landscape decomposing it in different patterns. Each pattern is characterized by its elements, their spatial locations, the relationships between them and the global relationship that evolves from all these elements. A pattern is like a template that will be materialized in various instances varying in the specific elements it will be composed of and the context in which the pattern will be located.
So, applying a deductive approach, we decompose nature into different patterns and characterize them . Then, in the design process, we will apply an inductive approach to build patterns that provide the solutions we want to achieve in our design.

Broadly speaking, the patterns try to accomplish goals like:

• Resource equity for plants: water, soil, minerals, light...
• Relative location of elements to improve the health of the whole system (plagues).
  
• Discover all niches available: avoidance of weeds and maximization of the harvest.
  
• Temporal succession: the evolution of the forest garden along the time ensuring a good diversification and avoiding a premature old age of the forest. A proper succesion will improve the soil quality (good soil - good plant health).
  
• The desired harvest and resources.
  

In the book appears a lot of patterns that we can apply in our designs. Some of these patterns are:

• Productive Landscape Mosaic
  
• Islands and Corridors
• These patterns are related to the context in which the forest garden will be.
• Patterns that arise
  
• Habitat Diversity
• Site Repair
• Outdoor Living Rooms
• Zones and Sectors
• Zones of Water Use
• These patterns are applied at the site scale.
• Dynamic Patches
• Mandalas
• Temporary Shurlands
• Minithickets
• Oldfield Mosaics
  
• These patterns are used for the garden design.
• etc...

I recommend this book!