Mountain Research and Development
The leading international scientific journal specifically devoted to sustainable development in the world’s mountains

Published by the International Mountain Society (IMS)

Mountain Research and Development Journal
The sacred walnut tree and temple meet local spiritual needs and have now also become one of the village’s tourist attractions. Photo by Weijia Zhou

Local Agency in Crop Booms and Busts: Insights from the Walnut Plantations of Southwest China

By Weijia Zhou and Jun He
MountainResearch

This study shows how local knowledge, culture, and institutions have interplayed with policy changes and market fluctuations to sustain local livelihoods and foster ecosystem conservation.

The roles of trees differ across landscapes. In Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, farm trees are of great cultural importance to the local Amazigh communities. (Photo by Tobias Plieninger)

Woodland Resurgence and Sustainability in Mountains—Patterns, Drivers, and Social-Ecological Consequences

VOL 45 | NO 1
February 2025

Farm trees as cultural keystone species in Morocco, Andean forest restoration in Peru, and forest structural complexity in Nepal: read about these and other topics in this focus issue.

Alpacas grazing a fenced Andean peatland—or bofedal—in Sajama National Park, Bolivia. Photo by Tom Perreault

Adaptive Livelihoods in Andean Pastoralism: Community-Based Institutions, Peatland Management, and Migration in Sajama National Park, Bolivia

By Tom Perreault
MountainResearch

This study suggests that community-based land tenure arrangements can support temporary labor migration among pastoralists by incentivizing migrants to return and keep animals in their home communities.

View of Huaraz and surroundings in the Peruvian Andes—one of the world’s many mountain regions facing unprecedented change. Photo by Wolfgang Gurgiser

Collaborative Research for Sustainable Mountain Futures—Special Issue from the International Mountain Conference 2025

VOL 46 | NO 4
Call for papers open

We invite papers emerging from recent research collaborations across different disciplines, experiences, and geographic and cultural perspectives that are slated for presentation at IMC2025.

Polylepis stakes are being collected for propagation in the communal nursery. Photo courtesy of The Mountain Institute

Restoration of Andean Forests Using a Socioecological Approach: A Case Study from the Aquia Mountain Community in Peru

By Tina Christmann et al
MountainDevelopment

Based on a document analysis and postproject interviews, the authors examine this model restoration project’s procedures and outcomes and pinpoint key success factors.

Olive trees in the terraced landscape of the High Atlas. Sustaining livelihoods and cultural identity, olive is the main cultural keystone species here. Photo by Tobias Plieninger

Farm Trees as Cultural Keystone Species: Bridging Biocultural Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Morocco High Atlas Mountains

By Chaima Mobarak et al
MountainResearch

Awareness of the cultural role of farm trees like olive, walnut, and almond can enhance biocultural conservation, stewardship of existing trees, and sustainable development in Mediterranean mountains.

Focus Topics

Innovation Pathways to Sustainability in Mountains

VOL 45 | NO 3
In progress

How can innovation contribute to sustainability in mountains? Stay tuned for more articles assessing innovation processes and practices, or providing agendas for policy, action...

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