The articles in this issue derive from papers presented at the 2015 Perth III mountain conference and align with research themes of Future Earth. They present a Canadian software tool to compare mountain photos for environmental monitoring, a 4-step participatory approach for gender-sensitive agroforestry options in Peru, and the application of social impact assessment to strengthen resilience in earthquake-hit Italy. Other papers discuss seedling regeneration in the US Pacific Northwest, ecosystem services in northern Portugal and Scotland, visitors’ energy use in the Austrian Alps, in-migration dynamics in Italy, environmental impacts of migration in Nepal, and farmers’ decision-making in Kyrgyzstan. The final 3 papers propose agendas for future mountain research, based on very different systematic assessments. Among the book reviews, two discuss books about the European Alps. Read about the journal’s section policies, guidelines and submission procedure at: www.mrd-journal.org.