Tigers are an [[Indicator Species]]

Because tigers require large areas of intact natural habitat that can only be sustained by healthy ecosystems, their presence is an indication an area's ability to provide life-giving [[ecological services]].

Healthy ecosystems clean and replenish the air, water, and soil that sustain both wildlife and human populations. The value of these ecological services is virtually infinite—they cannot be replaced with our current technology. 

Tigers are an [[Umbrella Species]]

Because tigers are require large tracts of unfragmented habitat, efforts that focus conservation attention and resources on tigers and their habitat inevitably conserve a wide variety of other species. Tiger conservation requires that natural resource managers coordinate their efforts and implement effective conservation strategies at the scale of entire landscapes.

Tigers are a [[Flagship Species]]

Tigers have long captured the imagination of the Thai people, and people the world over. Tigers reflect the best qualities of Thai culture: strength, intelligence, beauty, independence, and caring for their young. As emblems of Thailand’s natural heritage, Tigers are a rallying point for conservation, focusing the attention of the public and policymakers on the rapid decline in forest cover and biodiversity across Southeast Asia.

Tigers are a [[Keystone Species]]

Tigers keep prey populations of deer and other prey species from increasing unsustainably. Overabundant prey populations exert heavy grazing pressure and decrease the biodiversity of forest understories and grasslands. By preying on weak and sick individuals, tigers also improve the overall health of these prey populations.