Bridging the divide between intuitive social-ecological value and sustainability in the Manica Highlands of southern Africa (Zimbabwe- Mozambique) V. Ralph Clark a,*, João de Deus Vidal Jr. a, Isla M. Grundyb, Togarasei Fakarayic, Susan L. Childesd, Nigel P. Barkere, H. Peter Linderf aAfromontane Research Unit/Department of Geography, University of the Free State: QwaQwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa bInstitute of Environmental Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe cBirdLife Zimbabwe 35 Clyde Road, Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe dBlack Crystal Consulting Pvt Ltd, 1 Fairbairn Drive Mt Pleasant Harare Zimbabwe eGreat Escarpment Biodiversity Research Programme, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa fDepartment of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland * Corresponding author at: Afromontane Research Unit/Department of Geography, University of the Free State, South Africa. E-mail addresses:
[email protected] (V.R. Clark),
[email protected] (J.D. Vidal), i
[email protected] (I.M. Grundy),
[email protected] (T. Fakarayi),
[email protected] (S.L. Childes),
[email protected] (N.P. Barker),
[email protected] (H.P. Linder). Abstract Southern African mountains remain poorly studied as social-ecological systems (SES) and are poorly represented in the global mountain discourse. However, these mountains provide essential ecosystem services (ES) that underpin local and regional development. Quantitative data on ES, their representation in policy, and the political will for sustainable management are limited. We demonstrate this using the Manica Highlands (MH; Zimbabwe—Mozambique): benefiting one million immediate and five million downstream beneficiaries, the seven identified ES are supported in the literature but lack recent quantitative data needed to persuade policymakers for action to promote sustainability.