NEWS FROM Asia
THE INDIGENOUS RANGE OF THE TIGER (PANTHERA TIGRIS) [DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION, A JOURNAL OF CONSERVATION BIOGEOGRAPHY - JANUARY 18, 2025]
ABSTRACT (partial)
Aim
Indigenous range maps are fundamental documents in biogeography, phylogeny and conservation. We define the indigenous range of a species as ecoregions (or parts of ecoregions) where the species was likely found before humans became a major factor shaping the species' distribution, beginning at a time when the geographical alignment of the continents and the prevailing climate are (or at least were) roughly consistent with current conditions. We developed a structured, generally applicable method to map a species' indigenous range and applied this process to the tiger (Panthera tigris).
Location
Terrestrial Asia.
Results
We found the tiger once occupied a likely indigenous resident range of approximately 11.5 million km2, crossing 116 ecoregions. We also mapped an additional c. 11.7 million km2 of exploratory range and 1.2 million km2 of possible resident range. Collectively these areas overlap with 36 modern countries. Significant human disruption of the species' habitat seems to have begun over 6000 years ago in some areas, but in other regions has yet to materialise. In few arid ecoregions, human activities appear to have modestly increased habitat availability in the past, yet overall tigers have lost between 90% and 95% of their indigenous range over the last 8500 years.
Photo Credit: public domain image from Adobe Stock
