Mountainous Areas Of Taiwan Research Articles

Phytochemical Evaluation and Anti-angiogenic Activity of Alingatong (Dendrocnide meyeniana Walp.) Root Extracts Using the Chorioallantoic Membrane Assay on Duck Embryo

Dendrocnide meyeniana (Walp.), known as "Alingatong" in the Visayas region of the Philippines, is a plant from the Urticaceae family. It is commonly found in the mountain areas of Taiwan and the Philippines. This study aims to determine the Dendrocnide meyeniana root extract's anti-angiogenic activity. The methanolic extracts of Dendrocnide meyeniana were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening. Cytotoxicity test using Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay was conducted with different plant concentrations to determine the concentration to use for the anti-angiogenic activity of the root extracts. The anti-angiogenic activity was observed by calculating blood vessel percent inhibition using chorioallantoic membrane assay or CAM assay. Phytochemical screening reveals that the plant contains varying levels of detection of bioactive compounds, including saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and steroids. Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay showed that the ethyl acetate and hexane extracts from Dendrocnide meyeniana were highly toxic as their LC50 values were lower than 100 ppm. CAM assay results showed that hexane with 250 ppm concentration has the highest percent inhibition with 34.98% followed by hexane at 125 ppm with 34.07% inhibition. Both concentrations of ethyl acetate showed low percentage inhibition, where 250 ppm was at 19.05% and 125 ppm at 15.93%. One-way ANOVA indicates that the different treatments have significant differences (p-value< 0.0001) in the number of branches present using the CAM assay. Therefore, based on the results, Dendrocnide meyeniana root extracts have anti-angiogenic properties and these findings will help to understand the efficacy of the traditional medicine used by the local people.

In vitro immunoreactivity and in vivo neutralization of Trimeresurus gracilis venom with antivenoms targeting four pit viper species.

Snakebite envenomation is a significant global health issue that requires specific antivenom treatments. In Taiwan, available antivenoms target a variety of snakes, but none specifically target Trimeresurus gracilis, an endemic and protected species found in the high mountain areas of Taiwan. This study evaluated the effectiveness of existing antivenoms against T. gracilis venom, focusing on a bivalent antivenom developed for Trimeresurus stejnegeri and Protobothrops mucrosquamatus (TsPmAV), as well as monovalent antivenoms for Deinagkistrodon acutus (DaAV) and Gloydius brevicaudus (GbAV). Our research involved in vivo toxicity testing in mice and in vitro immunobinding experiments using (chaotropic) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, comparing venoms from four pit viper species (T. gracilis, T. stejnegeri, P. mucrosquamatus, and D. acutus) with three types of antivenoms. These findings indicate that TsPmAV partially neutralized T. gracilis venom, marginally surpassing the efficacy of DaAV. In vitro tests revealed that GbAV displayed higher binding capacities toward T. gracilis venom than TsPmAV or DaAV. Comparisons of electrophoretic profiles also reveal that T. gracilis venom has fewer snake venom C-type lectin like proteins than D. acutus, and has more P-I snake venom metalloproteases or fewer phospholipase A2 than G. brevicaudus, T. stejnegeri, or P. mucrosquamatus. This study highlights the need for antivenoms that specifically target T. gracilis, as current treatments using TsPmAV show limited effectiveness in neutralizing local effects in patients. These findings provide crucial insights into clinical treatment protocols and contribute to the understanding of the evolutionary adaptation of snake venom, aiding in the development of more effective antivenoms for human health.

Investigating fault zone hydraulic properties and groundwater potential in a fault-dominated aquifer system: A case study of the Dili fault in Central Taiwan

Discovering groundwater resources in a fault-controlled aquifer system appears to be a viable solution to water scarcity in the mountainous areas of Taiwan. Regoliths, fractured bedrock, and faults commonly exist in such aquifer systems. To investigate the groundwater behavior in the three subsurface media, a 3-D hybrid model (equivalent porous media/discrete fracture network) involving various in situ investigation techniques (borehole drilling, outcrop investigation, borehole televiewer logging, sonic logging, and downhole hydraulic tests) was proposed to assess the hydraulic properties and groundwater storage of the Dili fault zone of Central Taiwan and its surrounding formations. Subsequently, the model was verified through a case study of a simple fracture network. Based on the validated model, flow path analysis was successfully performed to reveal the hydrogeological role of the fault zone, which acts as a conduit for groundwater flow. To ensure the simulated result regarding the hydraulic properties of the fault zone, this study proposes three additional cross-checking techniques, namely stable water isotopes, derivative plots of pumping test data, and identification of hydraulic gradients. The results of the investigation show that the hydraulic properties of the fault zone obtained by the three approaches are consistent with those determined by the numerical method, and the use of the three cross-checking techniques has been confirmed to be suitable for effectively exploring the hydraulic properties of a fault because the site characterization data are insufficient. Finally, the developed hybrid model was used to calculate the groundwater storage of each geological zone, indicating its great potential for the development of groundwater resources in the study area. Therefore, this study integrates in situ investigation techniques, numerical models, and three evaluation approaches of fault zone hydrogeology to construct a systematic, feasible, and applicable exploration methodology that can be employed for groundwater resource exploration in a fault-dominated aquifer system.

Convolutional neural network bidirectional long short-term memory to online classify the distribution insulator leakage currents

In this project, the online monitoring systems to classify the leakage current of 15 kV and 25 kV distribution insulators were installed in mountain areas in Taiwan. The convolution neural network bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-Bi-LSTM) was employed to categorize the leakage current levels based on the field experiences of the TaiPower company. The sequential weather factors and the different distribution insulators leakage current were collected every hour and utilized in the proposed model's learning process. In addition, a simple grid search parameter optimization was implemented to identify the optimum architecture of CNN-Bi-LSTM for each data collection. Moreover, the optimized CNN-Bi-LSTM structure performances were evaluated and compared with the gated recurrent unit (GRU), LSTM, CNN-LSTM, and Bi-LSTM neural networks. The experiments results proved that the proposed CNN-Bi-LSTM improved the category cross-entropy error, the accuracy, and the precision metric with a maximum enhancement of 71.331%, 14.382%, and 14.042% in the training data and 91.250%, 17.529%, and 17.343% in the validating data, respectively. Moreover, the experiment outcomes in different data models prove that the 24-sequential weather parameters have a significant impact on the achievement of CNN-Bi-LSTM in categorizing the leakage current. The optimized CNN-Bi-LSTM structures were applied in the online monitoring systems to provide a better schedule for maintenance operations at the Taipower company.

Pain Experiences and Coping Strategies in Rural Older Adults With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Mountainous Areas of Taiwan

BackgroundAlthough rural communities are home to a higher proportion of older residents, they provide fewer healthcare services than do urban core communities. Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is often associated with reduced daily activity and quality of life in older adults, particularly those in rural areas. AimsThis study investigated the pain experiences and coping strategies in rural older adults with MSK pain in Taiwan. MethodsA structured questionnaire was used to collect data from rural older adults with chronic MSK pain in mountainous areas of Taiwan. ResultsIn total, 55 rural older adults were enrolled in this study. The most common pain sites were the low back and knees. The main cause of pain was osteoarthritis. Three quarters of the participants suffered from moderate to severe chronic MSK pain on average. The results revealed that behavioral strategies were used more often than cognitive strategies. Regarding behavioral strategies, the most common non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic pain coping strategies were to rest and to take Chinese medicine, respectively. The most common cognitive strategy for pain coping was to talk to others. ConclusionsThe findings suggested that pain management for chronic MSK pain in rural older adults was inadequate in mountainous areas of Taiwan. Most rural older adults used multiple coping strategies to deal with their pain, and behavioral strategies were favored over cognitive strategies.

Evidence for Range Expansion and Origins of an Invasive Hornet Vespa bicolor (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Taiwan, with Notes on Its Natural Status.

Simple SummaryThe invasive hornet Vespa bicolor Fabricius was first discovered in Taiwan in 2003 and was not confirmed to have been established until 2014. This study was conducted in order to (1) assess the current status of V. bicolor abundance, dispersal, seasonality, and possible impact on honeybee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) in Taiwan; (2) and to trace the origins of Taiwan’s V. bicolor population. To assess V. bicolor abundance, we used visual surveys, sweep netting, and hornet traps in four known ranges in northern and central Taiwan from 2016 to 2020. Additionally, to understand V. bicolor dispersion, we mapped environmental data using ArcGIS, and to predict future V. bicolor range, we used ecological niche modeling. The results show that V. bicolor has stable populations in three areas in northern and central Taiwan, and mainly preys on Apis mellifera. Our analyses suggest samples from Southeastern China as having the closest relation in DNA sequences with Taiwan’s V. bicolor population. Due to the negative economic and ecological impacts of V. bicolor in Taiwan, our findings shed light on the value of monitoring and controlling its populations, rather than working exclusively towards elimination.The invasive alien species (IAS) Vespa bicolor is the first reported hornet that has established in Taiwan and is concerning as they prey on honeybee Apis mellifera, which leads to colony losses and public concerns. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the current status of V. bicolor abundance, dispersal, and impact and to trace the origins of Taiwan’s V. bicolor population. Our studies took place in five areas in northern to central Taiwan. We used mtDNA in the phylogenetic analyses. Field survey and ecological niche modeling (ENM) were used to understand the origins and current range of the invasive species. Two main subgroups of V. bicolor in the phylogenetic tree were found, and a clade with short branch lengths in Southeastern China and Taiwan formed a subgroup, which shows that the Taiwan population may have invaded from a single event. Evidence shows that V. bicolor is not a severe pest to honeybees in the study area; however, using ENM, we predict the rapid dispersion of this species to the cooler and hilly mountain areas of Taiwan. The management of V. bicolor should also involve considering it a local pest to reduce loss by beekeepers and public fear in Taiwan. Our findings highlight how the government, beekeepers, and researchers alike should be aware of the implications of V. bicolor’s rapid range expansion in Taiwan, or in other countries.

Aeolian additions of podzolic soils on the high-altitude mountains in central Taiwan-sediment origin and pedological implications

The podzolic soils with characteristic eluvial horizon are widely distributed in the mountainous area of Taiwan with a cold and humid climate, where the altitude is greater than 3000 m above sea level. There are multiple sequence horizons along the soil profile in some of the places. These repeated patterns of the soil horizons have not been reported in the literature, which may indicate the cycles of climatic or environmental changes in the past. The puzzling origin of these soils may be answered by identifying the parent materials and their source areas through age dating and isotopic analyses. Four soil profiles were sampled from Hohuanshan (HHM and HWS), Nanhuashan (NH), and Battonguan (BTG) of the alpine area in central Taiwan. These soils, in general, show the characteristics of silt and silty loam in soil texture, high soil organic carbon, low cation exchange capacity, and low base saturation percentage. Soil classification in accordance with the US System (Soil Taxonomy) suggests all the soils in this study are Humicryepts. The index quantification from soil morphology also shows the extent of pedogenesis fairly between profiles, which is supported by the ages obtained from the charcoals or highly carbonized woods in various sizes found in the dark black soil horizons. It suggests that these soils began to develop approximately four thousand years ago, during the cool and dry period of the Holocene according to the paleoclimate records, and the cold and dry climate favors the preservation of charcoals. Despite the suspicions of aeolian deposits in Taiwan, the high mountain areas are far from the location of aeolian deposits. It was not until recent years that the researchers proposed the idea of aeolian addition to the soils in Hohuanshan. The characteristics of the multiple sequence soil horizons may offer an insight into the paleoenvironment of the high mountain areas. The bimodal pattern on the particle size distribution indicates an additional parental source for these soils. The evidence from the calculated strontium isotope ratios delivers an argument that these soils are developed by in-situ weathering with the addition of aeolian material. They are yellowish and subangular particles with sizes ranging from 7 to 10 µm. The aeolian deposits of Hohuanshan reveal the geochemical characteristics of the river sediments of the Da-An, Da-Chia, Da-Du River, and Cho-Shui Rivers. This suggests that the source of the aeolian particles in the soils was supplied with materials connected with the river system of central Taiwan. In the same manner, the aeolian deposits of Nanhuashan and Battonguan were likely derived from the river sediments of eastern Taiwan. The example from the NH profile indicates a constant rate of aeolian addition, which rules out the influence of the fluctuations of climate change since the mid-Holocene. The findings of this study not only help validate previous studies on the paleoenvironment of Taiwan but also inspire further aspects of the Taiwanese paleoclimate researches.

Thermal physiology explains the elevational range for a lizard, Eutropis longicaudata, in Taiwan.

1: The decrease of temperatures along an elevation gradient imposes physiological constraints on reptiles that ultimately determine their distribution ranges. Forest patterns are likely to interact with this process, but very few studies have examined their contribution in determining distribution limits. 2: We examined the role played by thermal physiology and forest cover in determining the elevational ranges of a lizard, Eutropis longicaudata. We integrated this species' thermal traits in simulating its maximum activity time under different conditions of forest cover and elevation using a NicheMapR model. In addition, we evaluated the influence of winter temperatures on the range limit by examining the simulated soil temperatures at the occurrence sites. 3: Laboratory experiments showed that E. longicaudata has a high preferred body temperature and low cold tolerance. The model predicts that maximum activity time decreases with elevation and forest cover. Although unforested areas may provide longer active time in all simulated elevations, mountain areas in Taiwan are heavily forested and are predicted to allow only a very short period of activity above 1000m elevation. 4: All sightings were indeed located in areas below 1000m elevation, in which the predicted average soil temperature is above 10°C in January in cold years. 5: Our results show that reptile physiological response does respond strongly to the change of microclimate induced by forest cover and elevation. Overall, this suggests that forest cover is a major determinant of some reptiles' elevational range.

Analysis and quantification of groundwater recession characteristics in regolith-bedrock aquifers: a case study in the mid- and upper-Choshuei river basin in central Taiwan

Investigating the groundwater recession characteristics and its relation with geological conditions is of critical importance to the estimation of groundwater recharge in regolith-bedrock aquifers, which commonly occur in the mountainous areas of Taiwan. This paper examines the role of geological and hydrogeological factors in controlling rainfall-induced recharge processes. Groundwater and rainfall data were compiled from 29 monitoring wells and rainfall stations situated in the mid- and upper-Choshuei river basin in central Taiwan. In light of analyzing the outcome of the groundwater-level response to rainfall, the relation between the effective rainfall and groundwater-level fluctuation tends to be positive, and rainfall events with high intensity firmly control the groundwater recharge process in Taiwan mountainous areas. Permeable geological units likely dominate the groundwater-level variations. Besides, recession rates in the vertical direction varying with geological conditions were obviously found in each well site. To improve the efficiency of the water table fluctuation (WTF) method on extrapolating recession rates, two rating systems for evaluating hydraulic properties of regolith and fractured bedrock, respectively, were proposed and applied to develop the effective techniques linked to the quantification of recession characteristics varying with depths for each well. By regression analysis, the dependence of the hydraulic property rating system on the recession rate was performed, and the derived regression equation for each well can be used to estimate the recession rate with depths. Finally, the recharge estimation with the above techniques in Taiwan mountainous areas was established, and the present method of estimating recharge was compared with the existing method. The difference between the two methods was obviously found. Thus, recharge estimation in mountainous areas should take account of complex geological conditions.

Taxonomy of the yeast genus Vanderwaltozyma and proposal of Vanderwaltozyma meishanica sp. nov., Vanderwaltozyma huisunica sp. nov., and Vanderwaltozyma molinica sp. nov.

Using electrophoretic karyotyping, RAPD fingerprinting and phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal RNA gene sequences, twenty-six Vanderwaltozyma strains were studied. Out of 19 strains isolated in mountainous areas of Taiwan, eighteen strains were isolated from soil and one strain was isolated from the fruiting body of mushroom, six were identified as V. polyspora and three as V. verrucispora. Based on the results of a multigene sequence analysis (D1/D2, ITS and mitochondrial COX II gene) and DNA-DNA reassociation, three new ascosporic members of the genus Vanderwaltozyma are formally described: V. huisunica sp. nov. (GA1S06T = CBS 12250T = BCRC 23260T), V. meishanica sp. nov. (EN4S02T = CBS 12249T = BCRC 23255T) and V. molinica sp. nov. (GJ8S05T = CBS 12251T = BCRC 23264T), and the holotypes of these novel species are assigned as BCRC 23260T, BCRC 23255T and BCRC 23264T, respectively.

Effects of river flow velocity on the formation of landslide dams

Natural dams are formed when landslides are triggered by heavy rainfall during extreme weather events in the mountainous areas of Taiwan. During landslide debris movement, two processes occur simultaneously: the movement of landslide debris from a slope onto the riverbed and the erosion of the debris under the action of high-velocity river flow. When the rate of landslide deposition in a river channel is higher than the rate of landslide debris erosion by the river flow, the landslide forms a natural dam by blocking the river channel. In this study, the effects of the rates of river flow erosion and landslide deposition (termed the erosive capacity and depositional capacity, respectively) on the formation of natural dams are quantified using a physics-based approach and are tested using a scaled physical model. We define a dimensionless velocity index vde as the ratio between the depositional capacity of landslide debris (vd) and the erosive capacity of water flow (ve). The experimental test results show that a landslide dam forms when landslide debris moves at high velocity into a river channel where the river-flow velocity is low, that is, the dimensionless velocity index vde > 54. Landslide debris will not have sufficient depositional capacity to block stream flow when the dimensionless velocity index vde < 47. The depositional capacity of a landslide can be determined from the slope angle and the friction of the sliding surface, while the erosive capacity of a dam can be determined using river flow velocity and rainfall conditions. The methodology described in this paper was applied to seven landslide dams that formed in Taiwan on 8 August 2009 during Typhoon Morakot, the Tangjiashan landslide dam case, and the Yingxiu-Wolong highway K24 landslide case. The dimensionless velocity index presented in this paper can be used before a rainstorm event occurs to determine if the formation of a landslide dam is possible.

Dependence of Probabilistic Quantitative Precipitation Forecast Performance on Typhoon Characteristics and Forecast Track Error in Taiwan

Abstract This study investigates the probabilistic quantitative precipitation forecast (PQPF) performance of typhoons that affected Taiwan during 2011–16. In this period, a total of 19 typhoons with a land warning issued by the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) are analyzed. The PQPF is calculated using the ensemble precipitation forecast data from the Taiwan Cooperative Precipitation Ensemble Forecast Experiment (TAPEX), and the verification data, verification thresholds, and typhoon characteristics are obtained from the CWB. The overall PQPF performance of TAPEX has an acceptable reliability and discrimination ability, and the higher probability error is distributed at the mountainous area of Taiwan. The PQPF performance is significantly influenced by typhoon characteristics (e.g., typhoon tracks, sizes, and forward speeds). The PQPFs for westward-moving, large, or slow typhoons have higher reliability and discrimination ability, and lower-probability error than those for northward-moving, small, or fast typhoons, except for similar reliability between fast and slow typhoons. Because northward-moving or small typhoons have larger forecast track error, and their PQPF performance is sensitive to the accuracy of the forecast track, a higher probability error occurs than that for westward-moving or large typhoons. Furthermore, because there is no difference in track error between fast and slow typhoons, the larger track spread for slow typhoons increases the rainfall forecast spread and reduces the probability error. The orientation of Taiwan’s topography and the topographic effect also influence and increase the distribution and value of probability error for northward-moving, small, or fast typhoons. In summary, forecast track characteristics are influenced by typhoon characteristics and further affect the PQPF performance.

Enhanced directly-observed treatment short-course for tuberculosis control program in mountain areas of Taiwan

Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) is one of the most cost-effective approaches for TB treatment. However, TB incidence rates remain high in the mountain areas of Taiwan. A lay health advisor (LHA) strategy is integrated into DOTS as an Enhanced-DOTS (E-DOTS) to provide trustworthy, culturally-specific services in mountain areas that consider the characteristics of local ethnic groups. We recruited two Taiwanese indigenes as LHAs (one for each county) to screen close contacts in five townships of Hualien and Nantou counties from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013. Incidence and active finding rates of TB during the E-DOTS periods (2011-2013 for Hualien and 2012-2013 for Nantou) were compared with data when traditional DOTS was implemented (2006-2010 for Hualien and 2006-2011 for Nantou) to evaluate the effectiveness of E-DOTS using the before-and-after study design. Incidence rate in Hualien decreased from 393.3 in 2011 to 235.7 in 2013 per 100,000 population and from 338 in 2012 to 235.5 in 2013 in Nantou mountain area. Furthermore, the active case finding rate increased from 15.42% in 2012 to 27.38% in 2013 as compared to an average of 6.5% for CDC, Taiwan, for the specified years. TB treatment success rates were significantly improved from an average of less than 80% to an average of higher than 90% after E-DOTS was implemented. Our findings highlighted that the use of LHAs in E-DOTS is an effective and applicable strategy for controlling tuberculosis in the mountain areas of Taiwan.

Integrating Landscape Metrics and Hydrologic Modeling to Assess the Impact of Natural Disturbances on Ecohydrological Processes in the Chenyulan Watershed, Taiwan.

The Chenyulan watershed, located in the central mountain area of Taiwan, has been suffering from earthquakes, typhoons, and heavy rainfalls in recent decades. These sequential natural disturbances have a cumulative impact on the watershed, leading to more fragile and fragmented land cover and loss of capacity of soil water conservation. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and a landscape metrics tool (FRAGSTATS) were used to assess the direct impact (e.g., by annual rainfall) and indirect impact (e.g., by landscape configuration and composition) of natural disturbances on the ecohydrological processes of the Chenyulan watershed. Six SPOT satellite images from 2008 to 2013 were analyzed by using the nearest feature line embedding (NFLE) approach and reclassified into six land cover types: forest, cultivated land, grassland, river, landslide, and built-up. Forest was found to have the largest patch size, indicating that it is more resilient to disturbances, while agricultural land tended to expand from the river side toward the hill. Two land cover change scenarios were compared in the SWAT model. The results showed that there was no significant difference in simulated streamflow during 2004–2015 and sediment loading during 2004–2009; however, the model performed better for sediment loading during 2010–2015 with dynamic land cover change (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.66, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) = 0.62, percent bias (PBIAS) = 10.5%, root mean square error observation standard deviation ratio (RSR) = 0.62) than with constant land cover (R2 = 0.61, NSE = 0.54, PBIAS = −17.3%, RSR = 0.68), indicating that long-term land cover change should be considered in hydrologic modeling. Changes in landslides during 2008–2013 were found to significantly affect ecohydrological processes, especially after 2011. In general, annual precipitation plays a dominant role, and landscape composition had by far the strongest influence on water yield and sediment yield compared to landscape configuration. The results can be useful for understanding the effects of land cover change on ecohydrological processes in the Chenyulan watershed and the potential impact of ecohydrological changes on the environment and public health.

Numerical Experimental Study for the Effect of a Binary Typhoon System on the Extreme Rainfall of Typhoon Morakot (0908)

ABSTRACT A high-resolution numerical simulation of the extreme rainfall caused by typhoon Morakot (0908) over Taiwan Province, China, was made using the WRF-ARW/NCAR model (Version 3.2), ERA Interim reanalysis data (resolution: 1.5°×1.5°) from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and global real-time sea surface temperature analysis data (RTGSST, 0.5°×0.5°) from NCEP/NOAA. The numerical simulation results showed that the extreme rainfall caused by Morakot over Taiwan was closely related to water vapor transport of the southwesterly flow. However, the effect of a binary typhoon system between Morakot and Severe Tropical Storm Goni (0907) was also an important factor. Goni strengthened the intensity of the southwesterly flow and the water vapor transport to Morakot and resulted in the heavy rainfall increasing over central and southern mountainous areas of Taiwan. Furthermore, the effect of the binary typhoon system increasing the northward component of the track of Morakot, and the typhoon's slow translation to Taiwan, caused the longtime and persistent severe rainfall over southern Taiwan. After removing Goni's circulation in the model initial field, the cumulative precipitation was greatly reduced by 35.78%, 33.03% and 31.5% in the 18-, 6- and 2-km resolution model results, respectively.

Apples in action: Territoriality and land use politics of mountain agriculture in Taiwan

This essay outlines the symbolic and material transformation of mountain agriculture in Taiwan by tracing the historical trajectories of temperate fruit production, and of apple growing in particular. Specifically, we look at the area of Lishan, a major production centre for apples and other temperate fruits in Taiwan's Central Mountain Range in order to explore the relationship between the mountain agriculture and the politics of territorialisation. Focusing on the post‐war era, we argue that the development of mountain agriculture in Taiwan, and upland fruit growing in particular, has operated as a ‘more‐than‐human political technology’. The territory of Lishan is not just a passive geographical space, but engaged in a process of becoming, which re‐makes the mountain areas of Taiwan into ‘apple zones’ both spatially and socially. The spatial dimension centres on processes of political territorialisation, economic deterritorialisation and combined reterritorialisations whereby apple plantations have transformed the landscape from one focused on strategic politics to one embedded within development and market frameworks which entail their own particular forms of politics. The social dimensions are centred on the politics of forging connections among different elements circulating through the mountain areas of Taiwan, including apples, soldiers, transport infrastructures and agricultural policies.

蝉花液态培养菌丝体对ICR小鼠及SD大鼠之急毒性探讨

蝉花为名贵传统中药材，具有保护眼睛、保护肾功能等多样生理功效，野生蝉花采集不易，人工大量发酵生产是个可行的替代方式。本篇研究以采集自台湾地区的野生大蝉花作为菌种来源，并以液态发酵方式培养蝉花菌丝体，进行ICR小鼠及SD大鼠之单一极限剂量安全性评估试验。ICR小鼠的实验中分别给予RO水、12 g/kg bw蝉花发酵液冻干粉末、12 g/kg bw水萃物及3 g/kg bw酒萃物；SD大鼠则给予RO水及2000 mg/kg bw三批独立发酵生产之蝉花发酵液冻干粉末，各组别5只试验动物。试验结果显示，试验期间所有受试动物生长情况良好无死亡情形，无明显临床症状发生，生化学检查、总解剖及组织病理学检查结果与对照组相比，亦均无明显差异，此结果可作为日后人体食用功能性蝉花发酵菌丝体之安全性参考依据，并推测蝉花发酵液冻干粉末及其水萃、酒萃物喂食ICR雄、雌鼠之口服急性毒性剂量，其LD50分别大于12 g/kg bw、12 g/kgbw及3 g/kg bw。 Cordyceps cicadae (C. cicadae) is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine. It exhibits a variety of biological functions, including vision improvement and protection of renal function. Because of the shortage of wild C. cicadae, artificial cultivation is an ideal alternation. The C. cicadae sample was collected from the mountain area of Taiwan and mass produced by submerged cultivation. This study was conducted to a single limit dose of acute toxicity assessment in ICR mice and SD rats. ICR mice were divided into four groups and were fed with RO water, 12 g/kg bw of freeze dried C. cicadae powder, 12 g/kg bw water extract of C. cicadae powder and 3 g/kg bw alcohol extract of C. cicadae powder. In the other test SD rats were also divided into four groups and were fed with RO water and 2000 mg/kg bw of freeze dried C. cicadae powder from three different batches. Each group has 5 experiment animals. During the study period, no abnormality occurred in clinical signs and body weight. There was no significant difference in biochemistry parameters between the treatment and control group. Necropsy and histopathological examination showed no treatment-related change. The results of this study provide evidences for the use of C. cicadae fermentation product as a safe agent in functional food. The LD50 of C. cicadae powder, its water extract and alcohol extract was greater than 12 g/kg bw, 12 g/kg bw and 3 g/kg bw in both ICR male and female mice respectively.

A new species of alpine Apenetretus Kurnakov from Taiwan: evidences from DNA barcodes and morphological characteristics (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Patrobini).

There are three isolated mountain ranges in Taiwan including Hsueshan Range, Central Mountain Range, and Yushan Range. The rise of these mountains has resulted in the isolation of some species and caused allopatric distribution resulting in divergence and speciation events of high mountain carabids, especially the flightless carabids such as Epaphiopsis, Apenetretus, and partial Nebria. Genus Apenetretus Kurnakov (1960) is typically distributed in high mountain areas of Taiwan. Three of the currently known Apenetretus species have been described from different mountain ranges. These species include Apenetretus yushanensis Habu, Apenetretus nanhutanus Habu, and Apenetretus smetanai Zamotajlov and Sciaky. In this study, a new species is described from Hsueshan, a mountain separated from the ranges of the previous known species, Apenetretus hsueshanensis sp. n. A key to the Taiwanese Apenetretus is included. A reconstructed phylogeny of the Taiwanese Apenetretus is introduced with the use of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Molecular data and geographical distribution of Apenetretus support the morphological characteristics observed among those mountain-isolated species and confirms the new species as being distinctly different. Moreover, lineage calibration suggests that the southern Apenetretus yushanensis is the most distant one compared to the other three northern Apenetretus at ca. 1.81 million years ago (mya), while the divergence time of Apenetretus hsueshanensis to its sister group was dated to 0.94 mya.

Landslide dam formation susceptibility analysis based on geomorphic features

Global climate change has increased the frequency of abnormally high rainfall; such high rainfall events in recent years have occurred in the mountainous areas of Taiwan. This study identifies historical earthquake- and typhoon-induced landslide dam formations in Taiwan along with the geomorphic characteristics of the landslides. Two separate groups of landslides are examined which are classified as those that were dammed by river water and those that were not. Our methodology applies spatial analysis using geographic information system (GIS) and models the geomorphic features with 20 × 20 m digital terrain mapping. The Spot 6 satellite images after Typhoon Morakot were used for an interpretation of the landslide areas. The multivariate statistical analysis is also used to find which major factors contribute to the formation of a landslide dam. The objective is to identify the possible locations of landslide dams by the geomorphic features of landslide-prone slopes. The selected nine geomorphic features include landslide area, slope, aspect, length, width, elevation change, runout distance, average landslide elevation, and river width. Our four geomorphic indexes include stream power, form factor, topographic wetness, and elevation–relief ratio. The features of the 28 river-damming landslides and of the 59 non-damming landslides are used for multivariate statistical analysis by Fisher discriminant analysis and logistic regression analysis. The principal component analysis screened out eleven major geomorphic features for landslide area, slope, aspect, elevation change, length, width, runout distance, average elevation, form factor, river width, stream power, and topography wetness. Results show that the correctness by Fisher discriminant analysis was 68.0 % and was 70.8 % by logistic regression analysis. This study suggests that using logistic regression analysis as the assessment model for identifying the potential location of a landslide dam is beneficial. Landslide threshold equations applying the geomorphic features of slope angle, angle of landslide elevation change, and river width (H L/W R) to identify the potential formation of natural dams are proposed for analysis. Disaster prevention and mitigation measures are enhanced when the locations of potential landslide dams are identified; further, in order to benefit such measures, dam volume estimates responsible for breaches are key.

Atmospheric Deposition of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans at Coastal and High Mountain Areas in Taiwan

Atmospheric deposition is of great importance for the sink of air pollutants to the environment, either from local sources as well as coming from long range transport. To further understand the combined impact of both long-range transport from South East Asia and local emission sources of pollutants, the characteristics of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the ambient air of two background sites in Taiwan namely, Hengchun (coastal area) and Lulin (high mountain area), were simulated by regression of PM_10 versus total-PCDD/F mass concentration, modeling of gas-particle partitioning, and simulations of both dry and wet deposition. The simulated PCDD/F concentrations at Hengchun, ranged between 0.0039-0.0106 and 0.0054-0.0138pg WHO2005-TEQ m^(-3) for 2012 and 2013, respectively. For Lulin site, the PCDD/F concentrations ranged between 0.0016-0.0029 and 0.0016-0.0032 pg WHO_2005-TEQ m^(-3) for 2012 and 2013, respectively. The WHO_2005-TEQ ratios of PCDDs to PCDFs at both sites were less than unity, indicating that PCDF dominated the total toxicity. The results show that higher chlorinated PCDD/Fs primarily present in particulate phase for all seasons at both sampling sites especially in winter. Average dry deposition fluxes at Hengchun (57.1 pg WHO2005-TEQ m^(-2) month^(-1)) were approximately 5.1 times higher than those at Lulin (11.2pg WHO2005-TEQ m^(-2) month^(-1)). The annual average dry deposition velocities were estimated to be 0.28 and 0.22cm/s for Henchun and Lulin, respectively. For the whole period (2012-2013), the mean monthly wet deposition fluxes at Hengchun (averaged 11.7pg WHO_2005-TEQm^(-2) month^(-1)) were 1.44 times higher than that at Lulin (averaged 8.11pg WHO2_005-TEQ m^(-2) month^(-1)). The calculated annual average total-PCDD/Fs-WHO_2005-TEQ concentrations in the rain were 0.064 and 0.027pg WHO_2005-TEQ L^(-1) for Henchun and Lulin, respectively. The estimated annual average scavenging ratios of total-PCDD/Fs-WHO_2005-TEQ were 8015 and 13450 for Henchun and Lulin, respectively. Similarly, for the entire study period (2012–2013), the average annual total (dry + wet) deposition flux of total PCDD/Fs-WHO_2005-TEQ in the terms of pg WHO_2005-TEQ m^(-2) year^(-1) at Hengchun (824.9) was 3.5 times higher than those in Lulin (232.0). On the basis of total PCDD/Fs-WHO_2005-TEQ, the mean fraction contributed by dry deposition at Hengchun were 78.2% and 78.9% in 2012 and 2013, respectively, while at Lulin the average fraction contributed by dry deposition at Lulin were 56.5% and 69.1% in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Higher chlorinated congeners OCDD, OCDF, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8-HpCDF and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8-HpCDD dominated in terms of mass fractions of total PCDD/F deposition fluxes for all seasons at both sites. However on the basis of total PCDD/Fs-WHO_2005-TEQ deposition fluxes, the most dominant congeners were 2, 3, 4, 7, 8-PeCDF, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8-PeCDD and 2, 3, 7, 8-TeCDD during the whole sampling period at both sites. The results of this study provide useful information for both environmental impact assessment and control strategies of persistent organic compounds (POPs).