Alpin zone plant societies are beginning from upper limits of forest ecological systems and reach to the heights where snow cover is continuing (approximately between 2. 000 and 3. 500 meters). If you remember that a rough and mountainous country, Turkey has 129 peeks exceeding three thousand meters, it can be mentioned that Alpin zone plants are covering a very wide area within the country, even all of the pastures known as “plateau” are inside in this plant zone.

There is no tree within Alpin zone plant societies, similar as steppes, there are one or more years long lived but natural conditions enduring grassy plants. But here limiting factor not allowing cultivation of trees is not the small amount of rain, but is low environmental temperature.

Snow cover continuing from October to May, is allowing plant maximum four or five months to live. At the upper parts of Alpin zone, you are not even be able to see grasses. You can only face with likens which are the unions of colorful mosses and mushrooms on the rocks.

Lower parts of the Alpin plant zone are the places where soil is thick and genuine meadow grasses are plentiful. Generally soil layer become thin and plant cover become rare at upper parts. Here you can face with mine, hercai menekseler, yildiz cicekleri, kar cicekleri, kardelenler, duguncicekleri, yalacicekleri, damkoruklari, taskiranlar, zambaklar, susenler, and aglayan gelin flowers generally at hallows composed of rock cracks. Orman gulu and big can cicekleri, sonbahar cigdemleri with yellow and white colored flowers at plateaus of East Black Sea, are also the members of this plant societies.

The Karst and Cave Research Unit founded under the control of Directorate of the Institute of Mineral Research (M.T.A.) studies the caves having economic potentials and their usage fields at the regional conditions. These studies are supported by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Directorate of Water Affairs, Universities, Governorships, Municipalities and private persons.

Some of the cave research studies are carried by local or foreign Clubs and Societies. In these studies, the caves are examined according to their geological, geomorphologic, hydrological – hydro geological, meteorological and biological properties vein respect to their importance their maps (plans and cross – sections) in 1/100 – 1/2500 scales are drawn in order to determine their usage as an economical aspect.

In the further stage, the Protection and Application Project including the architectural, electrical and environmental arrangements of the caves to be prepared for touristic purposes are prepared. Also the studies about the underground rivers, their flow direction, underground and surface river basins, their pollution focuses and methods of protection are executed.