Integrated assessments call for establishing a sustainable meta-population of Amur tigers in northeast Asia

Abstract

With most large carnivore populations and habitats suffering massive declines across the world, efforts to restore their populations in the wild are of high conservation priority. China attaches great importance to protecting Amur tigers and has made considerable progress towards this goal, but most efforts have been focused on the single Laoyeling landscape. Here we assess all four major forested landscapes (including Laoyeling, Zhangguangcailing, Wandashan and Lesser Khinghan Mountains) that may be suitable for tigers in northeast China. Between 2013 and 2018, in total 55 wild Amur tigers were recorded through camera trap surveys and 30 individuals were identified through genetic analyses. The finite rate of increase of the population in the Laoyeling landscape, the only landscape with a breeding population, fluctuated greatly, but averaged 1.51. Total habitat used by Amur tigers during this period amounted to 47,813 km2. We estimated that based on density and home range sizes in nearby Russia, these landscapes could support 310 tigers, including 119 resident breeding females. However, prey density, especially of preferred prey, was extremely low, and likely a primary constraint to population recovery in landscapes other than Laoyeling, especially the Wandashan and Lesser Khingan Mountains landscapes. To achieve the goal of a large meta-population of Amur tigers across northeast Asia, in addition to prey restoration, we recommend extensive landuse planning, reducing anthropogenic impacts, improving ecology connectivity, and extensive international cooperation, as well as a feasibility assessment for introducing orphaned cubs as a means of speeding recovery in landscapes without breeding females.