The early man entirely depended on nature for his basic material needs like food, shelter, clothing and tools. He surrendered to it and worshipped it. It was essentially his theocratic approach' to physical environment. But with the advancement of culture and technology man tried to know the mysteries of nature and adjusted to it with a geocratic approach' and started cultivation of plants and domestication of animals. But the modern man well-equipped with scientific knowledge and technological kitbag attempted to conquer nature and upset the natural balance by his 'weo-cratic has put a question mark on his environmental ethics and his own survival.
       
            The underlying principle of change is adaptation, a harmonising concept of adjustment and re-adjustment in the changing man- environment relationships. Man as a geographic agent plays a dominant role in environmental adaptation, a theme well-orchestrated in Man's Adaptation of Nature by P.W. Brayan. 
  
           The geographical environment is his habitat, where every difference in environmental complex causes a difference in habits and way of life (genre de vie). The inhabitants of the tropical regions very greatly from those of the temperate or arctic regions as they have responded differently to environmental conditions which have moulded them differently and have conditioned their psychological, cconomic and social behaviour. approach' which Le Play's Place-Work-Folk' or C.D. Forde's 'Habitat, Economy and Society' provide theoretical foundations for the principle of adaptation which is of great value in the understanding of spatial organisation of economy and society. 

       We frequently come across an axiom : "Man adapts himself to his environment." It may suggest that there is one basic form or mode of adaptation which is used in a wider context of a physical, bioloei social milicu. Accordingly there are three types of adaptations 

   (a) Physical Adaptation. It is natural and involuntary it takes place independent of man and his desires. Fresh air stimulates kur lung and poisonous atmospheric gases affect us adversely, "Natur where makes such demands, death itself may be the final statement ol physical adaptation. Whatever the conditions are, whether city, poverty or prosperity, whether in the cyes of men they are favourable or unfavourable, good or evil, this unconditional physical adaptation remains with all its compulsions." 

    (b) Biological Adaptation. It implics that a particular form of (plant, animal, micro-organisn and man) has the best change of sune under the specific conditions of bio-physical environment. A Bsval adapted to aquatic life as a giraffe or zebra is adapted to the Sau life of Africa or society also stands in stable equilibrium not just with reference physical environment but also with the biotic communities which to intricately intervowen with it and can help or harm him.

    (c) Social Adaptation. It is an extension of the biological adaptatina when man modifies or adapts the environments to suit his neede goals. His role as an active agent of adaptation aims to fulfil his so objectives and values. 
       
        Social adaptation relates to both external environment and internal environment. The visible features of the cultural landscape, viz, houses settlements, means of transport and communication etc. are subjected to social adaptation for improving quality of life and living. The internal environment relates to social organisation and social institutions including governance and administration which constitute social or cultural heritage. "Social man cannot escape its influence because he is trained within it and habituated to it and none of his desires can be fulfilled unless he takes it into account." (Maclver). 

         According to Blache, "An established genre de vle implies a methodological and continuous and, therefore, a powerful action on nature. No doubt man's actions have left a mark on his environment ever since he started to use tools, it could be said that his actions have been important since the dawn of civilization. But the effects of organised and synthetic customs are of a different order as they dig their roots deeper and deeper, imposing themselves with greater and greater force on successive generations, making their mark on the mind and directing the march of progress itself."