ABSTRACT
Bicultures have more ecological potential than monocultures, it therefore follows that, with greater biodiversity, more ecological gains accrue. Three or more species, without getting into the sphere of the complex disarrayed ecosystem, is a large jump in biocomplexity. Most three-plus plantations realize gains through greater biodiversity and through more complex plant-on-plant functions. With three-plus polycultures, the number of variations is exponential to the number of included species. Without guiding principles and a strong understanding of the individual species, it can be difficult to enter the realm of the three-plus polyculture. A single primary species can be the focus of a three-plus polyculture, but more that one facilitative species may be added. This chapter shows where two secondary species, each coexisting well with a common primary species, are combined. The additions can be multiple guide species, multiple cover crops, a mix of a guide species and a cover crop, or facilitative plants with other roles and DPCs.
