The latest issue of eco.mont, edited by Valerie Braun (Austrian Academy of Sciences), Stefanie Gubler (SCNAT, Head of Research Commission of the Swiss National Park), and MRI’s SLC member Margreth Keiler (University of Innsbruck) highlights the vital role of mountains as both ecological hotspots and dynamic research environments. This edition showcases diverse studies from mountain regions around the world, reflecting the geographic breadth and interdisciplinary nature of current mountain research.

A bibliometric study of Korea’s Baekdudaegan Mountains examines emerging scientific trends in this ecologically and culturally significant range, identifying six key research areas, including biodiversity and climate change. In China, a case study from the Daqi Mountain Reserve raises urgent concerns about threats to fragile highland forests and calls for enhanced conservation and monitoring strategies.

European contributions focus on the legacy and future of protected alpine areas. In Austria’s Hohe Tauern National Park, long-standing glacier monitoring is providing critical insights into climate change, while in Switzerland, a new exhibition at the Swiss National Park brings the concept of wilderness to life for visitors through engaging public education.

The issue also features an update on the World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves, a growing global initiative fostering collaboration and sustainable development across over 80 mountain regions.

Together, these articles underline the importance of mountains as both indicators of environmental change and reservoirs of cultural and biological diversity. The editorial calls for continued interdisciplinary research and global cooperation to protect these vital landscapes.

View the online and open access version of Vol. 17, No. 2 here.

Click here to visit the official eco.mont website.

Photo by Jorijn Schrijvershof on Unsplash.