Introduction
Natural environments have a direct relationship with the inhabitant’s culture. Different ecosystems worldwide have evolved due to the resident’s way of life. One thousand years ago, the environmental features of eco-regions significantly impacted the culture and people living in the regions. However, as the population grew and people interacted with the environment, the people’s culture affected their areas through climate change. For example, people in the rainforest marred with fertile soils and conducive rainfall patterns will likely become farmers. If the region is rocky and cannot support farming, the people will be forced to be hunters.
As times change, people’s economic and cultural activities affect the environment, altering the natural environment. For example, when the farmers cultivate the forest using unsustainable agricultural methods, they make the place arid by changing its temperature and rainfall patterns. This paper analyzes the relationship between culture and environmental setup in Ozark Highlands and Central Basin 1000 years ago. It explains how human behavior has affected the climate of the eco-regions.
Ozark Highlands
The Ozark Highlands is an eco-region in the central parts of the USA and is characterized by hills and dense forests. The region has undergone significant changes over the past 1000 years, some of which can be credited to human activities such as farming. The highlands cover three main areas of the central parts of the USA: Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. One thousand years, the eco-region had a unique ecosystem that had rocky soils and unique trees, such as coniferous trees and hardwood, which supported a variety of animals (Thompson III et al. 33). The region further contained dense forests and permanent rivers flowing through the area such as River Missouri and River Arkansas. Figure 1 below shows an image of the highlands 1000 years ago.
The eco-region’s climatic characteristics considerably impacted the people’s culture before the white settlers came into the country. Since the region had rocky soils, it could not support farming, and the area’s inhabitants did not engage in the farming practice. The dense forests, rivers, and rocks shaped the inhabitant’s culture (Guerra et al. 37). The woods provided massive resources in the region, such as timber, which provided raw materials for building shelters.
The region’s culture was characterized by people living in houses made of wood. Besides the timber for building, it also provided the people with timber for canoes used for fishing in the region. The ever-flowing rivers contained fish of all kinds, and fishing became one of the main economic activities in the area (Thompson III et al. 23). The dense forests, which inhabited animals of different kinds, provided resources for hunting as inhabitants hunted animals for fur and food.
Central Basin
The central basin is a special eco-region in the USA, in the middle of Tennessee, and is known for its unique rolling hills and fertile farmlands. The features of the region affected people’s culture over time and have undergone numerous changes even though some of the features remain constant to date (Fränkel et al. 88). Unlike the Ozark highlands that are characterized by rocky soils, which made farming impossible, the rich and fertile spoils in the central basin made it practical for agriculture. It shaped its economic features (Wang et al. 1028). The mild climate and fertile soils made producing tobacco, wheat, and corn possible. It is imperative to note that the region’s characteristics shape the people’s way of life in each region. Figure 2 below shows an image of the area 1000 years ago.
The environmental setup in the central basin significantly impacted the people occupying the region. Since the fertile soils and climate supported farmers, the production of foods and crops affected their culture. As agricultural output increased and people had to trade with other regions, it promoted the cultures of song and dance as the people had constant celebrations. The agricultural heritage in the areas facilitated songs and dances, as the region was attractive for survival (Wang et al. 1028).
Since the part was organized into families and each had a farm cultivating different products, the sense of community and togetherness affected how the people lived and interacted. Over the ages, different families depended on the soils for survival as the same family farmlands were inherited and farmed for generations (Redvers et al. 29). Consequently, the people felt connected to the grounds and had a strong sense of belonging. The region’s cultural orientation is deeply rooted in agricultural production and ways of life.
Comparison of the Impacts of the Natural Environment on the Culture
The Ozark highlands and the central basin have cultures deeply impacted by the natural environment. The fact that the two regions have different cultures proves that every natural environment produces a different impact on the people’s culture and affects their ways of life. Ozark engaged in fishing, hunting, and living in timber thatched houses. Further, the terrain in the region is rugged, and it made it challenging for roads and other transport networks to be made in the area (Henry et al. 17). Since the terrain never supported the growth of towns in the region, it led to the preservation of cultures in the region. The region’s inhabitants had to develop unique factors to preserve their cultural heritage. Folk songs and country music are some of the songs that were designed to maintain the region’s culture.
On the other hand, the Central Basin’s land fertility shaped the cultural identity of the people living in the region. The constant celebrations of harvest and preparations for planting defined the inhabitant’s culture. Unlike the Ozark highlands, which were isolated and had a sense of community as they lived together without interference, the central basin was connected to other parts of the world as it provided food to regions that were not producers (Ylagan et al. 23). The ecosystems in the central basin affected people’s ways of life 1000 years ago, and the changes are still evident today. People’s culture in the present-day world is connected to the climate and natural environment. It is, therefore, possible to relate people’s culture to their natural habitat.
Impacts of Cultures on the Natural Environment
The ongoing debate on climate change and the role of human beings proves that people’s cultures significantly impact the natural environment. The natural environment in the Ozark highlands and the Central Basin has changed considerably due to the people’s culture. Since the ways of life of the people’s lives differ, the impacts may also be multifaceted over the years (Henry et al. 17). The inhabitants of both Ozark highlands and the central basin impacted the natural environment.
Ozark Highlands Supply of Basic Needs and Changes Over Time
In the past 1000 years, the eco-region had dense forests, which impacted the culture of the people and altered the economic and cultural activities. There was no farming because the soils were rocky and not fertile (Guerra et al. 34). Further, the regions encouraged fishing and hunting as the dense forests provided room for timber production for buildings and canoes. However, the exploitation of the natural environment by the inhabitants had an impact on the natural environment, and not only did the climate change, but also the goods provided by the region started being depleted (Lynch et al. 24). The constant harvest of timber for building and canoes for fishing constituted to deforestation and the density of the forest reduced, Figure 3 below shows how the people’s culture impacted the regions natural climate and impacted the balance in the ecosystem.
The constant hunting in the region reduced the number of wild animals, impacting the balanced ecosystem, and the number of tourists visiting the region declined considerably. After the white settlers came into the regions and started mining, which further destroyed the natural setup and the natural forests today (Mollenhauer et al. 23). The region’s natural setting attracted retirees to start living there, and there was an influx of tourism. The incomers impacted the people’s social fabric. Although it had a positive impact on the economy, the natural environment was depleted, and the natural environmental setting changed (Ylagan et al.44). Consequently, the supply of timber and canoes in the region was reduced. As a result, the governing council in the region has set up rules to protect the natural environment.
Central Basin Supply of Basic Needs and Changes Over Time
The natural features of the central basin promoted agriculture and made the inhabitants known as farmers and suppliers of wheat, tobacco, and other agricultural produce. Since the production of tobacco requires pesticides, it has had a significant impact on the climate in the region. Negative farming habits alter the natural environment, affecting the activities (Peña-Guerrero et al. 1005). Damaging farming, such as cultivating near the rivers, affected the rainfall patterns and changed the climate and the rainfall patterns changed. Consequently, the supply of food and other basic needs from the region changed and decreased due to the changing patterns. Figure 4 below shows how harmful farming practices led to soil erosions, which reduced farm produce and declined the provision of basic needs.
Generally, human activities in the central basin had a significant impact on the natural environment and the supplies of food. As the initial natural environment supported agriculture, the people had a sense of belonging to agriculture and practiced farming for a living (Peña-Guerrero et al. 1008). The interaction between humans in the region and its neighboring inhabitants increased crop production. As a result of the increased demand and inappropriate agricultural practices, the culture of farming, which determined the inhabitant’s ways of life, changed the climate, and productivity declined.
Conclusion
The natural environment has a strong relationship with the culture of the inhabitants. Each eco-region has a unique climatic characteristic that determines the ways of life. The Ozark highlands are marred with rocky soils, which needed to be more viable for farming. However, timber production, hunting, and fishing improved. On the other hand, the Central Basin had fertile soils and, therefore, promoted agriculture. However, human activities and culture hurt the environment, and the changing climate change due to human activities reduced the production of basic needs from the region. The analysis of the two regions proves that there is a direct relationship between the people’s culture and the natural environment, and people must always take care of their natural environment.
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