Natural Assets

Conservation Status
The Çoruh river basin is split into four Key Botanic Areas – numbers DKD 005, the Kaçkar mountains (mixed status); DKD 006, the Çoruh valley (a wildlife conservation area); DKD 009, the Oltu and Olur area (no preservation status) and DKD 010, the Tortum river basin (a wildlife conservation area). The only National Park is in the central part of the Kaçkar mountains; other parts of the Kaçkar have varying status, including the status of historic monuments.
The area contains many endemic species of plants, birds, wild mammals, amphibians, lizards and snakes, fish, butterflies and dragonflies. This is due to its position at the north end of the African Rift Valley (which caries much bird migration), at the west extremity of the Caucasus (many plants are common to the Kaçkar and Caucasus) and the variety of climate and geology.
Plants, birds and butterflies are described on other panels. Fish, especially an endemic red-spotted trout, are threatened by dam construction. Rare snakes include the pontic viper (vipera pontica) and vipera barani, which is very local. Larger mammals are often protected but are also subject to a hunting quota. Their distribution is quite localised. The most fascinating mammals are the European brown bears.

Zones
The region divides naturally into areas below and above the treeline but there are also lower-level divisions according to climate and geology. Below are the main divisions and some of the attractions at each level:

Above the treeline (1800 to 4000m)
During the last ice-age, this zone was under ice-sheet and the granite ridges of the Kackar once stood above several major glaciers. The characteristic scenery is U-shaped valleys divided by the spurs of the main ranges, with hanging valleys abutting the main valleys. The area around Davali, above Srakonaklar, is an excellent example. Scree sheets cover some slopes and piles of moraine dropped by retreating glaciers often hold back small lakes. Good examples of glacier-formed lakes include those at Yedigöller and cirque lakes at the head of the valleys above Srakonaklar. Piles of boulders, rounded by the ice, are piled up in some valleys; there is a good example at Olgunlar.
On north-facing slopes, up to about 2200m, there’s low rhododendron scrub. On south-facing slopes there are dwarf birches and spindly pines. The flatter areas above the treeline, where water is available, are used as summer pastures for grazing cattle, sheep and goats.

Evergreen forest (900 to 2000m)
Pines (pinus sylvestris) grow on drier, mainly south-facing slopes, with firs (abies nordmanica) on the north-facing slops; on rocky areas the juniper (juniperus oxycedrus and communis) spreads. Scrubby oak (quercus petraea) grows on dry slopes.

Meadows, terraces and slopes (below 2000m)
In the southern part of the area, tree cover is not general and the hillsides around the villages have often been terraced for crops. Other, drier areas are used for grazing animals. Meadow-side trees include fruit trees such as plums, quince and apples, rowans and maples and dwarf willows along streams. Hazelnuts form copses and olives grow at lower altitudes.
Around Narman, east of Tortum, is a valley of fairy chimneys, formed 2-3 million years ago by the effects of wind and water. They occupy an area of about 12 sq km, starting 11km along the road from Narman to Pasinler; the most interesting formations are around Yoldere. The chimneys are orange-and-rose-coloured and in spring stand out effectively against new green vegetation. The valley sides between the chimneys can be slippery.
Also in this area are pillow-shaped lava blocks, which were formed by a subterranean volcanic eruption.

Valley Bottoms
Alluvial soil forms rich, level vegetable and fruit gardens, rice paddies and orchards. The land is very valuable and mostly intensively cultivated and irrigated. Boundaries are often marked by rows of poplars and willows. Streams gushing down the valley sides form small wetlands where orchids grow. You will pass Tortum lake, formed by a landslide a few centuries ago, on the route from Erzurum to Yusufeli. It fills bottom of the Tortum valley and is now used for hydro-electricity generation. The bare cream and gold strata of the valley sides rises from the green-blue waters. North of the lake, a sign directs you to Tortum waterfall where the water gushes 48m down sheer rocks to the valley below. There is a staircase from which you can admire the water and an outdoor restaurant above the falls.
The valley of the Coruh river, especially between Ispir and Yusufeli, is bordered by dramatic, heavily-eroded sandstone rocks. They continue west from Yusufeli for about 30km and look as though they could have come from the American Wild West. The colours are especially bright around Alanbaş village and were formed by minerals in hot water from volcanic eruptions.
Through this dramatic landscape the Çoruh river, which in May – July sparkles with snowmelt from the hills, flows through gorges to the coast, making it a superb white-water challenge.