Chapter 9
Spatial Distribution of Sclerotia Grains
in Forest Soils, Northern and Central Japan
Nobuo Sakagami and Sayuri Kato
Abstract Cenococcum geophilum is known for its vast habitat range in temperate
and arctic-alpine climatic zones. The distribution of Cg sclerotia, resting bodies
which persist for a long term as a structural organic component in soils, is studied
from soil science and geographical aspects in this chapter. The objective of this study
is to understand the nature of their distribution as an organic component of forest
soils in Japan. Distributional properties of sclerotia were examined in terms of
weight density (mg/g), count density (grain/g), and mean weight per grain
(mg/grain). Harmonizing with previous studies, sclerotia tended to distribute in
acidic soils which have an Al p /Al o ratio larger than 0.5. Although these relationships
are not clear among surface soils, relationships between soil chemical properties and
sclerotia formation were suggested. Furthermore, sclerotia of Cg were assumed to be
one of the sources of “Pg,” the green fraction of humic acid. In a study on the
distribution of sclerotia in surface soils along an altitudinal gradient, the distributional peak was likely to be regulated by a balance of sclerotia formation and
decomposition. Formation of sclerotia may have a close relationship to the activities
of Cg (i.e., formation of its mycorrhizae) and thus it would be strongly affected by
dominant plants.
Keywords Cenococcum geophilum · Distribution of sclerotia · Exchangeable
aluminum · Non-allophanic andosols · Sclerotia · Soil profile · Soil properties
N. Sakagami (*)
College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: nobuo.sakagami.soil@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp
S. Kato
University Education Centre, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: kato-sayuri@tmu.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_9
153
Spatial Distribution of Sclerotia Grains
in Forest Soils, Northern and Central Japan
Nobuo Sakagami and Sayuri Kato
Abstract Cenococcum geophilum is known for its vast habitat range in temperate
and arctic-alpine climatic zones. The distribution of Cg sclerotia, resting bodies
which persist for a long term as a structural organic component in soils, is studied
from soil science and geographical aspects in this chapter. The objective of this study
is to understand the nature of their distribution as an organic component of forest
soils in Japan. Distributional properties of sclerotia were examined in terms of
weight density (mg/g), count density (grain/g), and mean weight per grain
(mg/grain). Harmonizing with previous studies, sclerotia tended to distribute in
acidic soils which have an Al p /Al o ratio larger than 0.5. Although these relationships
are not clear among surface soils, relationships between soil chemical properties and
sclerotia formation were suggested. Furthermore, sclerotia of Cg were assumed to be
one of the sources of “Pg,” the green fraction of humic acid. In a study on the
distribution of sclerotia in surface soils along an altitudinal gradient, the distributional peak was likely to be regulated by a balance of sclerotia formation and
decomposition. Formation of sclerotia may have a close relationship to the activities
of Cg (i.e., formation of its mycorrhizae) and thus it would be strongly affected by
dominant plants.
Keywords Cenococcum geophilum · Distribution of sclerotia · Exchangeable
aluminum · Non-allophanic andosols · Sclerotia · Soil profile · Soil properties
N. Sakagami (*)
College of Agriculture, Ibaraki University, Ibaraki, Japan
e-mail: nobuo.sakagami.soil@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp
S. Kato
University Education Centre, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: kato-sayuri@tmu.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_9
153