The newly launched Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) is an interdisciplinary project of IGBP (The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme), IHDP (The International Human Dimensions Programme), and GTOS (The Global Terrestrial Observing System). MRI is an initiative for collaborative research on global change and mountain regions. It takes an integrated approach to observing, modeling, and investigating global change phenomena and processes in mountain regions, including their impacts on ecosystems and socioeconomic systems.
MRI is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), the Swiss Federal Office for Education and Science (BBW), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SANW), and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL). The Initiative is presented in IGBPReport #49, recently published as: Becker A, Bugmann H, editors, 2001: Global Change and Mountain Regions—The Mountain Research Initiative (Stockholm, Sweden: IGBP). Mel Reasoner has been appointed to coordinate MRI activities at the new coordination office in Berne, Switzerland.
Information about the initiative can be found on the following web sites:
The second site describes the main objectives and activities of the MRI. These objectives are:To develop a strategy for detecting signs of global environmental change in mountain environments.
To define the consequences of global environmental change for mountain regions as well as lowland systems dependent on mountain resources (highland-lowland interactions).
To make proposals toward sustainable land, water, and resource management for mountain regions at local to regional scales.
Long-term monitoring and analysis of indicators of environmental change in mountain regions.
Integrated model-based studies of environmental change in different mountain regions.
Process studies along altitudinal gradients and in associated headwater basins.
Sustainable land use and natural resources management.
