The State of Mountain Research in Canada

Nearly a quarter of Canada’s landmass is covered by mountainous terrain, making mountains an important aspect of the physical and human geography of the country. Mountain areas in Canada have motivated a great deal of research activity, yet the state of mountain research in the country has never been systematically characterized, precluding a detailed understanding of what is being studied, when, where, how, and by whom. In response, we conducted a systematic scoping review to rigorously identify, collate, and critically examine existing peer-reviewed articles related to mountains in Canada. 2,888 articles were included in our review, which reveals strong biases towards work in the natural sciences and in the mountain west, with little work to date in the social and health sciences or in other mountainous regions of the country. Our results demonstrate that Canada is among the most productive contributors to mountain research globally, but that topical and geographical biases in existing research effort leave important gaps that must be addressed to successfully navigate challenges and opportunities facing mountain areas in Canada. We provide a roadmap to guide future mountain-focused research activities in the country.