Another example is the middle latitude grassland called the steppe or prairie. The tribals who live in parts of this area like the Kirghiz of central Asia lead nomadic life with the animals. Many of the grasslands have been cleared in the Soviet Union and the United States for mechanized cultivation of wheat or commercial rearing of cattle for beef.
Thus it becomes clear that the physical environment of a natural region does not determine a particular mode of life for the people. It provides a range of alternatives which can be utilized by people according to their needs and level of technological development A piece of land may be put to a variety of uses depending on its locations, climate, soils, topography etc.
While a certain range of crops may be cultivated in a region on the basis of the physical environment, man chooses that crop which gives him maximum returns. On a wetland, he may grow rice-and sugarcane depending on his needs. He may change the crop according to season from year to year on the basis of economic or other considerations. Use of better technology like high yielding varieties of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc., gives rise to change in crops cultivated. Land use change takes place in course of time also. The expansion-of a large city may lead to conversion of cultivated land for non-agricultural purposes like housing or industry.
Thus the human response to each natural region is not the same. In each one of the major natural regions which is discussed below, the human response differs though the physical environment is almost similar. This indicates the important role played by man in the development of a region. These different resources to the same natural region indicate the possibilities for the future development of similar regions in other parts of the world. For example, the Ukraine region of Soviet Union gives the indication of how middle latitudes steppe region could be developed agriculturally.
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