Pasture is grazing land for dairy and cattle farming. Most of the 3.35 billion hectares of pasture, or 0.6 hectares per person, are significantly less productive than arable land. For example, its potential for accumulating biomass is much lower than that of arable land. In addition, conversion efficiencies from plant to animal reduce the available biochemical energy to humans by typically a factor of ten. Expansion of pastures has been a main cause of shrinking forest areas.
Forest refers to farmed or natural forests that can yield timber products.
Of course, they secure many other functions too, such as erosion prevention, climate stability, maintenance of hydrological cycles, and if they are managed properly, biodiversity protection. With 3.44 billion hectares covering our planet, there are 0.6 hectares per capita world-wide. Today, most of the forests left occupy ecologically less productive land with exception of some few remaining inaccessible jungle areas. Many people hope that augmented agricultural productivity will be able to save humanity from the ecological squeeze. What they often forget is that high agricultural productivity is mainly possible thanks to massive ecological subsidies such as loss of ground water, loss of top soil and input of fossil fuel consuming fertilisers and other agro-chemicals.