ABSTRACT
In this chapter we examine the mechanics of population change in mountain regions and explore its impact on communities and environments. Growth and decline in population, with its concomitant effects on settlement, land use and livelihood patterns, is a highly significant factor in the transformation of mountain communities. One of the key questions in demography concerns the extent to which population variables can be considered autonomous or whether they are dynamically related to environmental or socio-economic factors which would provide a distinctive ‘mountain’ element about the process. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, only very aggregate data are available in mountain regions and even this is usually very short term. Therefore much of the work remains not only rather descriptive but also somewhat speculative about the precise nature of the links between population change, the environment and socio-economic development. In the first part of the chapter we explore some of the basic dimensions of the demography of mountains, then consider migration. Finally, the concept of ‘carrying capacity’ is discussed.
