count (grain/g). Almost all sclerotia from air-dried soils floated in water in this
experiment. These floated sclerotia were considered to include both “live” and
“dead” sclerotia, noted by Trappe (1969). The brief explanation of soil profile
(horizon, depth, soil color, and texture) and the sclerotia contents are summarized
in Table 9.1.
The total C (T-C) and N (T-N) contents of soils were measured by the dry
combustion method using an NC-analyzer (NC-80, SCAS Ltd., Tokyo). The value
of the soil pH (H 2 O and KCl) was measured by the glass electrode method in a
suspension mixture of soil and a 2.5 times greater volume of either H 2 O or 1 M KCl.
Quantitative analysis of dithionite-citrate, acid oxalate, and pyrophosphate extractable Al and Fe (Al d , Al o , Al p , Fe d , and Fe o ) was carried out by the selective
dissolution method (Blakemore et al. 1987). The content of Al Ex was obtained on
the extract with 1 M KCl according to the method of Blakemore et al. (1987).
The soil profile data, sclerotia contents and soil analyses data for each profile are
summarized in Table 9.1, and Fig. 9.3. The first profile, Myoko Tsubame (Fig. 9.2
(1)), is from Fulvic Andosol beneath a F. crenata forest (36
54
0 09
00 N, 138
08
0 16
00 E;
1320 m asl.) on Mt. Myoko, Niigata Prefecture. The mean temperature and the
annual precipitation in this area are 5.8
C and 2280 mm, respectively. Floor
vegetation of the site was characterized by the presence of Sasa kurilensis. In
Japan, in the context of soil science, Kumada (1987) first noted the abundance of
large sized sclerotia (over 7 mm in diameter) in this site. The sclerotia showed
abundant distribution in surface A and buried A horizons. As opposed to Watanabe
et al. (2002), the sclerotia contents did not correlate with Al Ex nor Al p /Al o . The
second profile, Myoko Town (Fig. 9.2 (2)), is located in the pediment area of
Mt. Myoko (700 m asl.). Although the soil pH was lower than that of Tsubame
soil, the sclerotia content was lower in this profile. This supposedly results from the
lack of F. crenata, one of the important symbionts of Cg.
Figure 9.2 (3) is a Haplic Podzol beneath a mixed forest of Abies veitchii and
Tsuga diversifolia (35
55
0 11
00 N, 137
27
0 53
00 E; 2100 m asl.) on Mt. Ontake, Gifu
Prefecture. This profile showed lower pH, higher Al Ex content, and higher sclerotia
content comparing to Myoko profiles. Sugiura et al. (2017) reported detailed distribution of sclerotia in this profile, examined their saccharides and discussed their
importance as an origin of forest soil polysaccharides.
Jumonji (Fig. 9.2 (4)) is one of the most famous Podzolic soils in Japan. Jumonji
pass, in Mts. Oku-Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, is under subalpine coniferous forest
(Kitagawa et al. 2001). Its surface soil showed extremely low pH, and high Al Ex
content. Although the contents of sclerotia based on their weight and count are low,
large sclerotia (0.8 mg/grain) distributed in this profile.
In Tazawa study site (39
47
0 30
00 N, 140
46
0 21
00 E; 620 m asl.) on the Lake Tazawa
plateau, Akita Prefecture, sclerotia were collected from four different points: two
under Cryptomeria japonica forest (Fig. 9.2 (5, 6)) and two under F. crenata forest
(Fig. 9.2 (7, 8)). Sclerotia showed its distributional peak in the surface A horizons.
Although C. japonica is known as a non-ectomycorrhizal tree species, the contents
of sclerotia were not small under afforested cedars. Those sclerotia might be the
remains associated with ectomycorrhizal trees in the past.
156
N. Sakagami and S. Kato
experiment. These floated sclerotia were considered to include both “live” and
“dead” sclerotia, noted by Trappe (1969). The brief explanation of soil profile
(horizon, depth, soil color, and texture) and the sclerotia contents are summarized
in Table 9.1.
The total C (T-C) and N (T-N) contents of soils were measured by the dry
combustion method using an NC-analyzer (NC-80, SCAS Ltd., Tokyo). The value
of the soil pH (H 2 O and KCl) was measured by the glass electrode method in a
suspension mixture of soil and a 2.5 times greater volume of either H 2 O or 1 M KCl.
Quantitative analysis of dithionite-citrate, acid oxalate, and pyrophosphate extractable Al and Fe (Al d , Al o , Al p , Fe d , and Fe o ) was carried out by the selective
dissolution method (Blakemore et al. 1987). The content of Al Ex was obtained on
the extract with 1 M KCl according to the method of Blakemore et al. (1987).
The soil profile data, sclerotia contents and soil analyses data for each profile are
summarized in Table 9.1, and Fig. 9.3. The first profile, Myoko Tsubame (Fig. 9.2
(1)), is from Fulvic Andosol beneath a F. crenata forest (36
54
0 09
00 N, 138
08
0 16
00 E;
1320 m asl.) on Mt. Myoko, Niigata Prefecture. The mean temperature and the
annual precipitation in this area are 5.8
C and 2280 mm, respectively. Floor
vegetation of the site was characterized by the presence of Sasa kurilensis. In
Japan, in the context of soil science, Kumada (1987) first noted the abundance of
large sized sclerotia (over 7 mm in diameter) in this site. The sclerotia showed
abundant distribution in surface A and buried A horizons. As opposed to Watanabe
et al. (2002), the sclerotia contents did not correlate with Al Ex nor Al p /Al o . The
second profile, Myoko Town (Fig. 9.2 (2)), is located in the pediment area of
Mt. Myoko (700 m asl.). Although the soil pH was lower than that of Tsubame
soil, the sclerotia content was lower in this profile. This supposedly results from the
lack of F. crenata, one of the important symbionts of Cg.
Figure 9.2 (3) is a Haplic Podzol beneath a mixed forest of Abies veitchii and
Tsuga diversifolia (35
55
0 11
00 N, 137
27
0 53
00 E; 2100 m asl.) on Mt. Ontake, Gifu
Prefecture. This profile showed lower pH, higher Al Ex content, and higher sclerotia
content comparing to Myoko profiles. Sugiura et al. (2017) reported detailed distribution of sclerotia in this profile, examined their saccharides and discussed their
importance as an origin of forest soil polysaccharides.
Jumonji (Fig. 9.2 (4)) is one of the most famous Podzolic soils in Japan. Jumonji
pass, in Mts. Oku-Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, is under subalpine coniferous forest
(Kitagawa et al. 2001). Its surface soil showed extremely low pH, and high Al Ex
content. Although the contents of sclerotia based on their weight and count are low,
large sclerotia (0.8 mg/grain) distributed in this profile.
In Tazawa study site (39
47
0 30
00 N, 140
46
0 21
00 E; 620 m asl.) on the Lake Tazawa
plateau, Akita Prefecture, sclerotia were collected from four different points: two
under Cryptomeria japonica forest (Fig. 9.2 (5, 6)) and two under F. crenata forest
(Fig. 9.2 (7, 8)). Sclerotia showed its distributional peak in the surface A horizons.
Although C. japonica is known as a non-ectomycorrhizal tree species, the contents
of sclerotia were not small under afforested cedars. Those sclerotia might be the
remains associated with ectomycorrhizal trees in the past.
156
N. Sakagami and S. Kato