Dioecy is a rather rare sexual expression system guarantees outcrossing to avoid the deleterious effects of inbreeding. The incidence of dioecy varied among local floras and suggested inclining to tropical and oceanic environments, but its eco‐correlates received little research attention. In this article, we explored geographical patterns and variations in sexual expression systems of angiosperms in mountainous environments of Taiwan, a subtropical island in East Asia. A comprehensive geo‐database of vegetation inventories and herbarium specimens were used to identify eco‐correlates causing variations in the horizontal geographical extent and along a large elevational gradient of more than 3,500 m. We found the average incidence of dioecy in the flora of Taiwan to be 8.2%, but it exhibits geographical variations from islets in the Taiwan Strait to the Pacific Ocean. Detailed studies on the main island of Taiwan revealed that the incidence of dioecy varied among land cover types and elevational zones. An apparent two‐step decreasing pattern of dioecy percentages with elevation was found, with the highest proportion in the lowlands (0–600 m; 23.96%), followed by middle elevations (600–2,700 m; 20.87%) and subalpine regions (2,700–3,900 m; with a range of 11.38–0%). We found that spatial variations of dioecy were associated with eco‐correlates of land cover, elevation, woodiness, species richness, and mean annual temperature. Results of this study partially support Bawa's hypothesis of a higher incidence of dioecy on oceanic islands, and is consistent with Baker and Cox's observations of richer dioecious species on high‐mountain islands in the tropics and subtropics.

Objectives: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is associated with increased risk of major depression in the general population, however, no previous study has evaluated its role among pregnant women. We aimed to investigate the potential impact of AR during pregnancy on the development of postpartum depression (PPD). Methods: This is a population-based case-control study. Data were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Medical records of a total of 199 470 deliveries during 2000 and 2010 were identified. Among which, 1416 women with PPD within 12 months after delivery were classified as the case group, while 198 054 women without PPD after delivery formed the control group. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to determine the associations between AR during pregnancies and other study variables with PPD. Results: AR during pregnancy was found in 9.53% women who developed PPD and 5.44% in women without PPD. After adjusting for age at delivery, income level, various pregnancy and delivery-related conditions, asthma, atopic dermatitis and other medical comorbidities in the multivariate analysis, AR was significantly associated with increased odds of PPD (aOR: 1.498, 95% CI: 1.222-1.836). Conclusion: AR during pregnancy was independently and significantly associated with an approximately 50% increased risk of PPD among women giving birth. Closely monitoring of AR is warranted in the future in order to optimize mother and child outcomes after delivery.

Monitoring long-term forest dynamics can improve our understanding of how tree species change under varying environmental conditions over time. The Nanjenshan Nature Reserve, located in the southernmost part of Taiwan, is covered by natural tropical forest and affected by the northeast monsoon wind in the winter. To explore how monsoon wind shapes the structure of vegetation, we used the long-term data of the Lanjenchi plot (high wind exposure forest) and Nanjenshan plot I (low wind exposure forest) located in the Nanjenshan Nature Reserve. In these two plots, all free-standing trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 1 cm were identified, measured, and mapped five times in thirty years (1989–2019). Temporal changes of tree abundance, dominance, recruitment, and mortality were calculated for all species. We recorded 9694 ± 3924 individual ha⁻¹ belonging to 126 species in the high wind exposure forest and 4019 ± 1791 individual ha⁻¹ belonging to 105 species in the low wind exposure forest in the latest census (census 5). From 1989 to 2019, stem density in the high wind exposure forests decreased (from 12,179 ± 6689 to 9694 ± 3924 individual ha⁻¹), while stem density in the low wind exposure forests increased (from 3253 ± 1208 to 4019 ± 1791 individual ha⁻¹). The stem density of the rare species, which survived only in the high wind exposure forest, decreased over time. However, the basal areas of these two forests barely changed during the study periods. Due to environmental conditions, the two forests have developed different forest structures in spaces and time. Species stem density in the high wind exposure forest and diversity could continually decrease and affect the maintenance of species diversity in the monsoon wind-shaped forest.