Background/Question/Methods: Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) experienced a serious shrinking of its range and a significant population decline during the past century in Northeastern China and Russian Far East. Habitat loss and fragmentation caused by forest exploitation have been considered as the primary threat to the tigers’ survival. Consequently, deforestation is frequently blamed as the major threats to Amur tiger.  However, the decline in tiger population does not coincide for the time of forest clearing. There is a lack of analysis of the effects of forest characteristics associated with forest dynamics on the tiger’s habitat quality.  

In this study, we evaluated the forests in northeastern China from a dynamic perspective, and examined the Amur tiger’s habitat within it.  Specifically, first we evaluated the forest development by systematically examining the historical logging and management operations as well as the natural and anthropogenic disturbances in this region. We then applied multiple metrological sivilculture methods to evaluate the current forest crowding and stand structures and simulated the forest growth on a landscape scale with computer model Landscape Management System (LMS). Second we modeled and estimated the Amur tiger prey carrying capacity and consequent needed tiger home range under different stand structures with forest development. Third, we applied remote sensing techniques to evaluate stand structures according to the forest dynamics with a combination of disturbance and forest growth.

Results/Conclusions: Finally we conclude that forest stand structure is one of the major limiting factors for the tiger’s population. Consequently managing forests to keep a diversity of stand structures is critical to conserve Amur tigers in Northeast China. And we further demonstrate that through sustainable forest management, forest structures could be appropriately managed to enhance efforts to maintain the Amur tigers’ population.