Perennialization of Upland Agriculture

One of the answers to dwindling forest cover worldwide is to change the system of agriculture from short-term crops to planting of perennials. As advocated by the World Agroforestry Center, perennialization involves the substitution of annual crops with perennial plants and trees as they provide continuous ground cover and deep root systems for soil protection and stabilization, while increasing carbon stocks and reducing soil nutrients lost by leaching. The integration of trees into farming practices has the potential to sustain land productivity in addition to providing useful tree products such as firewood and fodder.