Chapter 11
Melanized Sclerotia Grains from Mongolian
Steppe Forest Soils
Khulan Nyamsanjaa, Bolormaa Oyuntsetseg, and Makiko Watanabe
Abstract Melanized fungal sclerotia grains were collected from Dark Kastanozem
soils in steppe forest, northern Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Terelji and Sanzai). Their
elemental composition was compared with that of sclerotia grains collected from
low-pH soils in three areas in Japan (Rishiri, Komado, Ontake). The elemental
compositions of the soil and the sclerotia grains were compared to determine the
transfer factors of elements from soil to sclerotia grains. The transfer factors of
calcium and copper from Mongolian steppe forest soils were significantly different
from those of sclerotia grains from Japanese Andosols. The enrichment of copper in
Mongolian sclerotia grains appears to be a result of a biotic mechanism in high-pH
conditions.
Keywords Sclerotia grains · Dark kastanozem · Elemental composition · Transfer
factor · Copper
K. Nyamsanjaa (*)
Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo,
Japan
Department of Chemistry, School of Art and Sciences, National University of Mongolia,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
e-mail: nyamsanjaa-khulan@ed.tmu.ac.jp
B. Oyuntsetseg
Department of Chemistry, School of Art and Sciences, National University of Mongolia,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
e-mail: bolormaa@num.edu.mn
M. Watanabe
Department of Geography, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: m.wata@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_11
193
Melanized Sclerotia Grains from Mongolian
Steppe Forest Soils
Khulan Nyamsanjaa, Bolormaa Oyuntsetseg, and Makiko Watanabe
Abstract Melanized fungal sclerotia grains were collected from Dark Kastanozem
soils in steppe forest, northern Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Terelji and Sanzai). Their
elemental composition was compared with that of sclerotia grains collected from
low-pH soils in three areas in Japan (Rishiri, Komado, Ontake). The elemental
compositions of the soil and the sclerotia grains were compared to determine the
transfer factors of elements from soil to sclerotia grains. The transfer factors of
calcium and copper from Mongolian steppe forest soils were significantly different
from those of sclerotia grains from Japanese Andosols. The enrichment of copper in
Mongolian sclerotia grains appears to be a result of a biotic mechanism in high-pH
conditions.
Keywords Sclerotia grains · Dark kastanozem · Elemental composition · Transfer
factor · Copper
K. Nyamsanjaa (*)
Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo,
Japan
Department of Chemistry, School of Art and Sciences, National University of Mongolia,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
e-mail: nyamsanjaa-khulan@ed.tmu.ac.jp
B. Oyuntsetseg
Department of Chemistry, School of Art and Sciences, National University of Mongolia,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
e-mail: bolormaa@num.edu.mn
M. Watanabe
Department of Geography, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo
Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: m.wata@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_11
193