CAVES AS AN OBJECT OF ECOLOGICAL TOURISM
Caves as underground landscape complexes with a certain resistance to anthropogenic strains, can be considered as objects of ecological tourism. The Crimean peninsula has a powerful potential of speleological resources. By the beginning of 2016 more than 1,600 karst caves are known in the Republic of Crimea. 78 of them are considered as biggest (the length is 500 m or bigger, and the depth is 100 m or bigger. The largest number of caves is situated in the Crimean karst-mountain area (78%). In the flat Crimea the percentage of caves is 6%, and in the Kerch peninsula it is 7%. The overall length of caves is 118 km, and the depth is 35 km. Most of the caves of the peninsula is a special type of underground landscapes (ecosystems) functioning and evolving due to the complex of interconnected environment-producing components or resources. Substantial- energetic components of underground ecosystems - energy, gas composition (cave atmosphere), water, soil-ground, biota - provide the cycling of substances and energy within the cave space and with neighboring (surface, for example)complexes. In such systems, a change in one of the components of the complex lead to a quantitative and qualitative transformation of others. In the course of a long evolution of subsurface ecosystems their elementary, functional and territorial structure is developing. Due to the buffer properties of epikarst zone, a sustainability to outer impact increases, their developing conserve heredity even in a case of significant transformation of surface landscapes (glaciation, aridization). As cave ecosystems get “older”, a stabilization of microclimate (gas composition, temperature and humidity), hydrological (water levels, velocities, debits) geo- and hydro-chemical parameters takes place. As a result, the specific environmental conditions are formed, a very narrow range of stenobiotic organisms, known as troglobionts, can be adapt to. Age of cave ecosystems can be as old as it is required for the development of cave from fissure to conduit-camera stages. Such evolutionary path lasts in carbonate karst of Crimea since the Neogene. Therefore, we can say with certainty about the antiquity, conservativeness and uniqueness of underground habitats, playing an important role in preserving biodiversity and maintaining a high level of endemism of subsurface karst ecosystems. Nearly 64 percent of the caves have an individual passport in the regional cadaster. As a result of passports data processing, the analysis and evaluation of environmental resources of 1017 caves of Mountain Crimea was produced. The landscapes of Red, Skelskaya, Yeni Sala 3 and Marble Caves received the highest mark (63.02, 33.16, 32.2 and 29.25 respectively). By the statistic analysis of individual cave marks distribution curve three groups of them were distinguished according to their nature-conserve value: the nature monuments of federal level (54 caves), the nature monuments of republic level (61 caves) and others (typical or without status). This number are a few times more than those were registrated in official lists of cave nature monuments of Crimea by now. The speleological regions, most perspective for the creation of protected sites and recreational development, were selected. These are mountain massifs Ai -Petri (37 rare and unique caves), Karaby (25), Dolgorukovsky (14), Chatyrdag (14). Current assessment technique allows a more reasonable approach of choosing new targets and vectors of development of recreational and environmental sector and to build the economic policy of the Republic of Crimea. Analysis of the experience on the use of cave resources indicates that approximately 20% of the karst areas of the Crimea can be involved in the tourism and recreation sector with minimal investment. This will reduce the load on other resources, and will bring another source of republic budget filling. Currently, only about ten caves are used for tourism in the Crimea. Only few of them have a scientific base on the opportunity of tourist exploitation. And only a few of them have a constant monitoring of the cave environment.