The Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the Institute of Complex Analysis of Regional Problems of the Far East branch of RAS together with China’s Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Heilongjiang Province’s Academy of Sciences are conducting joint research on potential Amur tiger habitat areas in order to restore the animal’s population in its historical range.

On 4 August, experts held a seminar entitled Mapping Bastak Nature Reserve Forests Using Multispectral Satellite Data from Different Seasons. It was pointed out that specialists at the Bastak Nature Reserve are using unique methods of modelling the Amur tiger habitat which are based on point analysis of satellite imagery. Using the satellite data, they can study the reserve’s territory in detail and make a rather accurate vegetation map.

The experts also began conducting field research in forest biocoenoses of the nature reserve. Researchers from the Heilongjiang Province are studying the Amur tiger habitat and environmental planning methods for creating protected areas, and are estimating the animal’s food resources.

Similar collaborative research was conducted by Russian scientists in 2014 in the Ussuri Nature Reserve. The researchers studied special Amur tiger habitat areas by using satellite data and examining the snow cover, which acts as the main limiting factor for the tiger in winter.