Landscapes of diversity: Indigenous knowledge, sustainable livelihoods and resource governance in montane mainland southeast Asia

Mountain environments are unique in many ways, including varied slope gradients, cool climates, and high precipitation, often in the form of snow.  The combination of these heterogenous physical conditions has led to many mountain areas becoming refuges for biodiversity; it has also profoundly influenced the way in which humans have adapted to mountain environments and use them.  In fact, it is the interactions between humans and physical processes that shape mountain environments.