Eurasian Western Palearctic Steppe

The Western Palearctic steppe includes the Pontic-Caspian steppe and the Central Anatolian steppe. Both regions lie west of the Caspian Sea and have been heavily impacted by agricultural development where precipitation permits. The Pontic-Caspian steppe has been heavily influenced by agriculture for hundreds of years with wheat farming starting in the Bronze Age and is likely the location of the first domestication of horses. Small tracts of steppe persist though the majority of the area has been converted to agricultural production, predominantly wheat. In Central Anatolia both true steppe and steppe created through anthropogenic disturbance exist. The true steppe has a lack of woody vegetation due to the saline conditions of the area.