The effects of improved accessibility in high mountain areas have stimulated a discussion on models that depict montane resource utilization, transformation of agricultural practices, and settlement patterns. While significant changes in mountain communities are evident and are perceived to transform socioeconomic conditions, it is argued that the persistence of specific practices related to the mountain environment must be acknowledged and discussed. Thus, persistence in change is analyzed as a parameter for the relationship between ecology, culture, and economy. The cases presented range from the European Alps to the Himalayan arc. Emphasis is placed on the utilization of agro-ecological belts in mountain societies such as the Himalayan communities of the Kashmir Valley and Jaunsar-Bawar in the Dehra Dun District. Their adaptive strategies and the transformation processes are compared with developments in the European Alps.