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mrdjournal.bsky.social
Mountain Research and Development
@mrdjournal.bsky.social
160 followers 140 following 60 posts
The independent, not-for-profit international scientific journal specifically devoted to sustainable development in the world’s mountains.
👉🏽 https://www.mrd-journal.org

Published by the International Mountain Society.
Hosted at @CDEunibe.bsky.social.
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mrdjournal.bsky.social
Congratulations to M. Pütz, A. Schindelegger, C. Meyer, and H. Job on making it to BioOne's Top & Trending collection!👇🏻

Their article discusses the role of spatial planning in energy transitions in the European Alps, based on debates in 🇦🇹, 🇩🇪, and 🇨🇭, and proposes a development and policy agenda.
bioone.bsky.social BioOne @bioone.bsky.social · 4d
Explore the latest Top & Trending Research from BioOne Complete – you’ll find recent articles in #biodiversity #conservation, #ecology, #evolutionarybiology, #marine and #freshwater biology, #geology and #paleontology, and more.

Free to read through March 31. bio-one.co/4pMP7AF
January 22, 2026 at 1:45 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
How do summer tourists experience forest ecosystem services under climate change? Laura Barraclough and Katharina Pöll examined this in Austria’s Stubai valley. They provide insights that can guide management of ecosystem services and tourist offerings. Read their article: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
A wooden cross with a bench and a small wooden shrine with a statue of the Virgin Mary mark Niederl, a mountain pass on the Stubaier Höhenweg trail in the Austrian Alps. It leads across a fairly steep, rocky and partly grassy ridge with a rocky summit next to it. Another, parallel mountain range is visible in the background. Hot summer temperatures could make hiking here more taxing. Photo by Laura Barraclough.
January 20, 2026 at 10:16 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
A new article by Jean Miczka and colleagues analyzes how mountain huts in the western European Alps are being adapted to climate change, what the challenges are, and how adaptation could be improved. Recommendations include ensuring long-term coordination. Find out more: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
Saleinaz Mountain Hut in the Swiss Alps is perched high above a steep slope, facing the cliffs and glaciers of Mont Dolent. The hut is small and built of stone, with a metal roof and two wooden extensions attached. Next to it is a small terrace with two tables and a few chairs. Photo by Jean Miczka.
January 13, 2026 at 10:03 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Mountain guides in the Canadian Rockies face growing climate risks. Katherine Hanly and Graham McDowell show that their adaptive capacity is shaped by social factors and institutional barriers. They point to ways of strengthening guides’ resilience and livelihoods. Read more: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
The Bow Falls area of Banff National Park reflects the intersection of climate change, tourism, and guiding practice. As landscapes shift and visitor pressures evolve, guides and institutions face complex questions of adaptation, resilience, and policy response in Canada’s most visited mountain destinations. The photo by Katherine Hanly shows a vast glaciated and snow-covered landscape in the background, with a waterfall running into a turquoise lake enclosed by rocky cliffs, from which another waterfall runs into a partly forested valley below.
January 7, 2026 at 1:47 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Another issue is complete! Articles examine changes in yak herding in Nepal, challenges in implementing science–society interaction policies in mountain biosphere reserves worldwide, and topography’s role in socioeconomic development in the European Alps. Read the issue: bioone.org/toc/mred/45/4
Cover page of Mountain Research and Development, Volume 45, Number 4. The cover photo by Dipak Raj Rai shows countless pieces of chhurpi—a hard cheese made from yak buttermilk—stored on overhead racks in a dark room with an earthen floor, stone walls, and a black wooden ceiling. The room also contains a wooden chair, baskets, and various other utensils. The chhurpi was produced by a private dairy in Gatlang, Nepal. While the state-supported marketization of yak products has boosted some households’ income, it is simultaneously eroding traditional sustainable herding practices and causing environmental degradation, as shown in the article by Indra Mani Rai and colleagues in this issue.
December 30, 2025 at 1:18 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
In a study of science–society interactions in 18 mountain biosphere reserves across 4 continents, A. Mitrofanenko and coauthors find that the reserves hold great potential to link science and society in advancing sustainability—but tapping it requires consistent support. doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
University students engage in a landscape assessment during a field excursion in the Dedoplistskaro Biosphere Reserve, Georgia, guided by a local ranger. They are standing in a circle in a green meadow on a gently sloping ridge, listening to the ranger’s explanations. A wide and flat valley stretches out in the background, lined by another green mountain ridge on its far side. Photo by Alexander Mitrofanenko.
December 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
A new article by M. Lambracht and T. Chilla of @fau.de examines the interplay between topography and socioeconomic factors in the European Alps. It shows that development in mountain regions is never determined by topography alone; other factors are also key. Get the details: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
Where relief is dominant: Switzerland’s Lauterbrunnen is an example of a settlement in a topographically challenging environment. The summer scene photographed by Markus Lambracht shows part of the village, including its church, and the vertical cliffs, hundreds of meters high, towering over the narrow valley on both sides. The snowy peaks of the high alps are visible above the cliffs.
December 17, 2025 at 9:26 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
“This book is an ethnographic delight,” writes Peter Phillimore in his review of “Anima: A Wild Pastoral” by Kapka Kassabova. The book describes the lives of transhumant pastoralists and their animals in Bulgaria’s Pirin mountains. Read the review: doi.org/10.1659/mrd.... @jonathancape.bsky.social
Cover of the book entitled Anima: A Wild Pastoral, written by Kapka Kassabova. It shows a photo of a herd of sheep in steep mountain terrain against a background of mountains and valleys fading into the distance.
December 8, 2025 at 9:54 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
In a new article, the #Afromontane Research Unit, University of the Free State, South Africa, presents the #Mozambique Mountain Initiative, a collaborative platform that brings together practitioners involved in the sustainable management of Mozambique’s mountain ecosystems: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
A sunlit brook at the center of Mount Mabu forest, the largest rainforest in Southern Africa, with mossy rocks emerging from the water and lush trees and ferns surrounding it. Photo by Julian Bayliss.
November 21, 2025 at 8:44 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
1/2 How can innovation contribute to sustainability in mountains? Articles in this focus issue explore the question from different angles, providing insights from China and various European mountain contexts and showcasing the diversity of the concept. Have a look: bioone.org/toc/mred/45/3
Cover of Mountain Research and Development Vol 45, No 3, with a photo by Gusztáv Nemes showing a henhouse made of mud, wood, straw, and stones to keep the animals cool, warm, and safe. It is fitted with a solar-panel-driven door that closes automatically at sunset to keep foxes out. This is an example of hybrid innovation—merging old and new technology—found in a mountain product value chain in Hungary that was among the many mountain product value chains analyzed in one of the articles in the issue.
November 19, 2025 at 1:08 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Does a circular economy lend itself as a sustainable way forward for high mountain regions? In a Delphi survey among stakeholders in Valle d’Aosta, Italy, Domenico Tassone and Dario Musolino found it would—but transitioning requires cultural change and targeted policies: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
View of Valle d’Aosta from Bard Fortress. Photo by Dario Musolino. The flat valley floor with green fields, some trees, and small towns has a powerline, a highway, the river Dora Baltea, and a road running along it. It is nested between steep mountains consisting partly of forested slopes and partly of bare cliffs and rock faces. The stone roof of the fortress is visible in the foreground.
November 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
How can Alpine regions transition to renewables while preserving landscapes and open spaces? Marco Pütz and colleagues discuss the role of spatial planning and propose an agenda for future development and governance: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
@wslresearch.bsky.social @bokuvienna.bsky.social
A snowy, sunny winter scenery, with the upper station of a ski lift and some skiers the foreground and several hills with numerous wind turbines in the background. These are the wind farms of Pretul, Steinriegel, and Hochpürtschling in Styria, Austria. A total of 48 wind turbines produce 115 MW, providing approximately 75,000 households with electricity. © Schindelegger 2020
November 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
ICYMI: We are looking for topic editors to join the team!
Help shape knowledge for sustainable mountain futures and be part of a unique, not-for-profit, community-supported scientific journal aiming for societal impact!

Find out more and apply by 24 Oct: t.ly/PAzBF

#AcademicSky #MountainsMatter
Social media card with a background photo of snow-covered mountains towering over a landscape of rocks, grass, and fir trees, taken by Susanne Wymann von Dach, and the following text: “Mountain Research and Development is looking for Topic Editors to join the editorial team! Apply now and help shape knowledge for sustainable mountain futures!” At the bottom right is the journal’s logo showing the upper left corner of a tilted stack of three papers, resembling a mountain range, and the text “Mountain Research and Development.”
October 14, 2025 at 2:09 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
We are looking for topic editors to join the team!

Help shape knowledge for sustainable mountain futures and be part of a unique, not-for-profit, community-supported scientific journal aiming for societal impact!

Find out more and apply by 24 Oct: t.ly/PAzBF

#AcademicSky #MountainsMatter
Social media card with a background photo of snow-covered mountains towering over a landscape of rocks, grass, and fir trees, taken by Susanne Wymann von Dach, and the following text: “Mountain Research and Development is looking for Topic Editors to join the editorial team! Apply now and help shape knowledge for sustainable mountain futures!” At the bottom right is the journal’s logo showing the upper left corner of a tilted stack of three papers, resembling a mountain range, and the text “Mountain Research and Development.”
September 22, 2025 at 1:58 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Market-driven yak herding in Gatlang, Nepal, is threatening traditional sustainable grazing practices. Policies must recognize and integrate these traditional practices to sustain mountain ecosystems. Read the article by Indra Mani Rai and coauthors: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
#MountainsMatter
A herder takes chauri (female yaks) up a dirt road to the designated pasture for day herding in the village of Gatlang. Photo by Dipak Raj Rai
September 19, 2025 at 9:04 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
This morning’s #IMC25 session on bridging science, policy, business, and practice for sustainable solutions in mountains was great for exchanging experiences and insights, including from the @unep.org/MRD/@cdeunibe.bsky.social project PRIMA. Thanks to all participants!
#SciencePolicy #ResearchImpact
Ansgar Fellendorf of UNEP presenting the PRIMA project.
September 18, 2025 at 2:11 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Big thanks for yesterday’s inspiring training session and energizing networking event at #IMC25. We’re grateful for the learning and connections!

#MountainResearch #Collaboration #MountainFutures
MRD associate editor Susanne Wymann von Dach shares useful tips with a diverse audience of mountain researchers on how to get their papers published in a peer-reviewed journal. Theresa Tribaldos, Managing Director of the International Mountain Society, presents the quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal Mountain Research and Development, which is published by the society.
September 18, 2025 at 6:42 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
📣 Happening this afternoon/evening at #IMC25:

How to get your mountain paper published: A workshop with the editors of MRD and eco.mont
🕓 16:00–17:30 🚩 MCI – SR 303 🔗 t.ly/fJixs

IMS and MRD networking workshop, with snacks and drinks
🕓 19:15–20:45 🚩 MCI – SR 303 🔗 t.ly/GOePE
Two photos, the top one showing a researcher interviewing a villager in Nepal (photo by Lilian Trechsel, CDE) and the bottom one showing people networking (photo by Thriday on Unsplash). The photos illustrate the contents of the events announced in the post.
September 17, 2025 at 11:59 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Are you at #IMC25? Come visit us at SOWI, 2nd floor!
We have a shared MRD/IMS table and are happy to chat about
- publishing your research,
- the possibility of your becoming an MRD topic editor,
- our special issue from #IMC25,
- and anything else you’d like to discuss!
#MountainsMatter
Photo showing shared presentation table of the journal Mountain Research and Development and its publisher, the International Mountain Society, with flyers laid out, posters on the wall behind, and two people standing and talking next to it.
September 15, 2025 at 12:33 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Heading to the International Mountain Conference 2025 in Innsbruck next week? Take the opportunity to meet MRD's associate editors! They are cohosting three sessions designed to support mountain researchers and development practitioners. Check them out: t.ly/0uOSv or 👇🏻
#MountainsMatter #IMC25
Social media card with the following text: Meet MRD’s associate editors at the International Mountain Conference 2025! Cohosted sessions: Training Session: How to Get Your Mountain Paper Published (Session ID: WS 3.132). A hands-on training session with MRD and eco.mont editors, perfect for early-career researchers and anyone looking to boost their submission management skills and their publishing success. Networking Workshop (Session ID: PS 3.110). Offered in collaboration with the International Mountain Society, this will be the perfect opportunity to connect, share your work, and help shape ways to strengthen the mountain research and development community. Innovative Approaches for Mountain Resilience: Bridging Practice, Science, and the Private Sector (Session ID: WS 3.118). Promoting Innovations for Sustainable Development: Learnings from Pilot Activities. Explore real-world examples of innovative projects driving sustainable mountain development and the lessons learned from their implementation.Soci This text is followed by photos of MRD’s associate editors Susanne Wymann von Dach, Brigitte Portner, and Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel. At the bottom is MRD’s logo, consisting of three parts: on the left, a schematic image of three stacked sheets of paper with text lines, tilted with the top left corner pointing upwards to make them look like a mountain range; on the right, the acronym mrd in large lowercase letters; and across the bottom, the journal’s full title, Mountain Research and Development.
September 9, 2025 at 9:25 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Just out: Ignacio Palomo’s review of “The Canadian Mountain Assessment: Walking Together to Enhance Understanding of Mountains in Canada,” by Graham McDowell, Madison Stevens, Shawn Marshall, and many others.
doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
@ucalgarypress.bsky.social
#MountainsMatter
Cover of book entitled The Canadian Mountain Assessment: Walking Together to Enhance Understanding of Mountains in Canada
September 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Ecological practices in European mountain product value chains are significantly associated with social innovation and collaborative governance. Policies for a green transition should be focused accordingly. Read the article by E. Schmitt et al: doi.org/10.1659/mrd....
This harvested cereal field is a site of agricultural innovation in Grisons, Switzerland: In one of the 455 value chains analyzed, a cooperative of organic cereal producers revived cereal production at high elevations up to 1600 masl by leveraging a diversity of cereal breeds, ancestral techniques, and modern standards. Photo by Emilia Schmitt
August 28, 2025 at 1:23 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
We are looking for topic editors to join the team!

Help shape knowledge for sustainable mountain futures and be part of a unique, not-for-profit, community-supported scientific journal aiming for societal impact!

Find out more and apply by 24 Oct: t.ly/PAzBF

#AcademicSky #MountainsMatter
Social media card with a background photo of snow-covered mountains towering over a landscape of rocks, grass, and fir trees, taken by Susanne Wymann von Dach, and the following text: Mountain Research and Development is looking for Topic Editors to join the editorial team! Apply now and help shape knowledge for sustainable mountain futures! Find out more: www.mrd-journal.org/topic-editors. Logo showing upper corner of tilted stack of three papers, resembling a mountain range, and text Mountain Research and Development.
August 20, 2025 at 12:48 PM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
Another issue is complete! Read about adaptive pastoralist livelihoods in the Andes, interface areas in the European Alps as a new spatial planning category, sustainability pathways for trail running in Romania, off-piste skiing and climate change in France, and more! t.ly/M6x0A

#MountainsMatter
Cover of Mountain Research and Development, Volume 45, Number 2 | May 2025. The cover photo, taken by Tom Perreault, shows the Andean peatlands, or bofedales, in the community of Caripe in Sajama National Park, with snow-capped Sajama peak in the background. Bofedales provide vital pasture for llamas and alpacas. An article in this issue of Mountain Research and Development shows that community-based land tenure arrangements in these areas can support adaptive livelihoods among pastoralists by incentivizing labor migrants to return occasionally to their home communities to maintain land and animals according to customary practices.
August 14, 2025 at 9:17 AM
mrdjournal.bsky.social
In their new article, Dominik Bertram and coauthors define and analyze the spatial and functional characteristics of interface areas linking mountains and lowlands in the European Alps, offering a novel spatial category for Alpine spatial development. Read the article: t.ly/NR8g5
#MountainsMatter
Panoramic view of an Alpine interface area, taken from above Garmisch-Partenkirchen, looking towards Munich. Photo by Elias Günther
August 12, 2025 at 9:50 AM