Discussion
According to the AUC values, the best predictor of tiger distribution is altitude, rather than type of habitat. Assessment of the relative importance of each of these parameters is best performed on the basis of their ecological relevance to the species. Habitat type is likely to have greater significance in terms of species ecology, as highly productive habitats, such as mixed forests with a predominance of Mongolian oak and Korean pine are key habitats for wild boar — the most preferred prey of the tiger. However, tigers can inhabit a variety of habitats with different arrays of prey species. Differences between the individual types of habitats in this case are not always obvious and easy to interpret. On the other hand, elevation is associated with several parameters that can influence the distribution of the predator, including habitat type. Previous studies (Miquelle et al., 2006) revealed that Amur tigers prefer using river valleys as movement corridors. A seasonal concentration of ungulates occurs in the valleys as well. These results are confirmed in the present study by the fact that distance to the river in all four MaxEnt models was the second major parameter
