Table 1 Description of environmental variables used to produce the suitability maps

Slope

0 to 15

Slope of the land surface relative to the horizontal measured in degrees

15 to 30

30 to 45

45 to 60

60 to 75

75 to 90

Ruggedness

0 to 0.05

Topographic ruggedness measured in terms of the variability in slope and aspect (Sappington et al. 2007)

0.05 to 0.19

0.19 to 0.44

0.44 to 0.99

Forest type

STSF

Subtropical sal forest: north tropical dry deciduous forest (Champion and Seth 1968), sub-tropical hill sal forest (Stainton 1972), hill sal forest (TISC 2002); altitudinal range: 300 to 1,000 m

SPF

Subtropical pine forest: chir pine forest (TISC 2002), sub-tropical pine forest (Champion and Seth 1968); altitudinal range: 1,000 to 2,000 m

STPBLF

Subtropical pine broad-leaved forest: chir pine broad-leaved forest (TISC 2002); altitudinal range: 1,000 to 2,000 m

UTCF

Upper temperate blue pine forest: (TISC 2002); altitudinal range: 2,500 to 3,000 m

RARA

Grass and rocky areas: barren hillsides devoid of trees because of rocks, frequently with dense forest nearby; altitudinal range: 300 to 3,200 m

TMF

Temperate mixed forest: fir-hemlock-oak forest (TISC 2002), fir-oak-rhododendron forest (TISC 2002), mixed blue pine-oak forest (TISC 2002); altitudinal range: 2,000 to 3,000 m

LTBLF

Lower temperate broad-leaved forest: lower temperate oak forest (TISC 2002), Alnus woods (Stainton 1972); altitudinal range: 2,000 to 2,500 m

TBLF

Temperate broad-leaved forest: oak-rhododendron forest (TISC 2002), rhododendron forest (TISC 2002), temperate mixed broad-leaved forest (Stainton 1972)

SABLF

Subalpine broad-leaved forest: birch-rhododendron forest (TISC 2002), subalpine mountain oak forest (TISC 2002), Quercus semecarpifolia forest (Stainton 1972; Champion and Seth 1968); altitudinal range: 3,000 to 4,000 m

SAMF

Subalpine mixed forest: fir-oak-rhododendron forest (TISC 2002), fir-hemlock-oak forest (TISC 2002); altitudinal range: 3,000 to 4,000 m

SACF

Subalpine conifer forest: fir forest (TISC 2002), Abies spectabilis forest (Stainton 1972), Abies pindrow forest (Stainton 1972); altitudinal range: 3,000 to 4,000 m

BA

Bushy area: forest area covered with bushes; altitudinal range: 300 to 4,000 m

AM

Alpine meadow: altitudinal range: >3,500 m

Distance to the nearest village

250

Forest within a 250-m radius of the nearest village

500

Forest within a 500-m radius of the nearest village

750

Forest within a 750-m radius of the nearest village

1,000

Forest within a 1,000-m radius of the nearest village

>1,000

Forest outside a 1,000-m radius of the nearest village