Chapter 1
Introduction
Makiko Watanabe, Keisuke Obase, and Kazuhiko Narisawa
Abstract Sclerotia are fungal resting structures, or persistent propagules, closely
related to research interests of botanist, mycologist, cytologist, histochemist, and
phytopathologist. The degradability or durability of sclerotia is probably dependent
on the ecological conditions, and the inactivated sclerotia propagules may become a
constitution as “sclerotia grains” in soil while keeping the unadulterated structure.
The black spheric resting bodies of Cenococcum spp. detected from forest soils
remain as one of the soil constituents while functioning as a substrate for fungi and
bacteria even though the ability to germinate has been lost. The wide habitat ranges
of Cenococcum spp. on earth suggest the adaptability of the Cenococcum spp.
sclerotia against severe environment. Because of their recalcitrant structure existing
in soil, sclerotium is not only a material of biological resource studies but is a key
material of integrated science that unravels the global history and earth system
before the relationship between human and soil begins.
Keywords Sclerotia · Cenococcum geophilum · Earth Sciences
M. Watanabe (*)
Department of Geography, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: m.wata@tmu.ac.jp
K. Obase
Department of Mushroom Science and Forest Microbiology, Forestry and Forest Products
Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
e-mail: obasek@affrc.go.jp
K. Narisawa
Department of Biological Production Science, College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University,
Amimachi, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: kazuhiko.narisawa.kkm@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Watanabe (ed.), Sclerotia Grains in Soils, Progress in Soil Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4252-1_1
1
Introduction
Makiko Watanabe, Keisuke Obase, and Kazuhiko Narisawa
Abstract Sclerotia are fungal resting structures, or persistent propagules, closely
related to research interests of botanist, mycologist, cytologist, histochemist, and
phytopathologist. The degradability or durability of sclerotia is probably dependent
on the ecological conditions, and the inactivated sclerotia propagules may become a
constitution as “sclerotia grains” in soil while keeping the unadulterated structure.
The black spheric resting bodies of Cenococcum spp. detected from forest soils
remain as one of the soil constituents while functioning as a substrate for fungi and
bacteria even though the ability to germinate has been lost. The wide habitat ranges
of Cenococcum spp. on earth suggest the adaptability of the Cenococcum spp.
sclerotia against severe environment. Because of their recalcitrant structure existing
in soil, sclerotium is not only a material of biological resource studies but is a key
material of integrated science that unravels the global history and earth system
before the relationship between human and soil begins.
Keywords Sclerotia · Cenococcum geophilum · Earth Sciences
M. Watanabe (*)
Department of Geography, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: m.wata@tmu.ac.jp
K. Obase
Department of Mushroom Science and Forest Microbiology, Forestry and Forest Products
Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
e-mail: obasek@affrc.go.jp
K. Narisawa
Department of Biological Production Science, College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University,
Amimachi, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: kazuhiko.narisawa.kkm@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Watanabe (ed.), Sclerotia Grains in Soils, Progress in Soil Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4252-1_1
1