How does global design apply design principles to ecosystems?

All design elements are related psychologically by designers, as focus or frame, as contrast or uniformity, as dominant or recessive, or in a number of other pairs. Good ecosystem design means not violating any of the aforementioned principles or ideas.

Design can improve the results of bad practices. Bad harvesting practices in forests for instance often result in geometric wastelands. Good design can correct reliance on straight lines, parallel lines, right angles, and perfect symmetry. In cutting or planting to improve natural appearance a number of things have to be considered, including the age of the forest, windthrow, width of corridors, and minimum size of the habitat.

Minimum Sizes. At some point in the reduction of the size of an ecosystem, species and associations drop out, extirpated or extinct. Every system has a minimum size. Design has to consider minimum viable populations and minimum ecological areas to avoid destroying what it intends to design. The planet has to have a minimum number of species to push all the cycles, from oxygen to carbon. Without this minimum number the cycles could stop.

Completeness. There are many key species, or resources, or patterns in an ecosystem. Since it is so difficult to discover all of these, design must be cautious and minimal. Is the centipede more important than an owl? Is the mycorrhizal fungus more critical than the tree? As Aldo Leopold stated, it is important to save all the pieces,

Ecosystem Shapes. Successful design depends on the creation of large-scale visual natural shapes. The shapes are determined by whole blocks of components, entire woods, external margins, and open spaces. The form and scale of the shapes should be dictated by the land form. Each shape interacts with its neighbors in a larger context.

Elements of Diversity. Elements of diversity in an ecosystem include macromorphs, such as the land form, presence of water, exposed rocks, trees, wildlife, and special areas, such as archaeological sites. The differences in these elements not only provides ecological redundancy but also perceptual interest.

Character. The character of a system develops out of the interactions of the elements over a period of time, usually a long time. Character is partially determined by a distinct pattern of elements in a landscape. Some of the character is derived from human perception and values, from color to balance. The character may be desirable or not to different groups of people. Design may enhance or ruin character.