including several orders of insects and their larvae, as well as Myriapoda, Crustacea,
Thysanura, Tardigrada, and others. In terms of numerical abundance and diversity,
the Acari, Collembola, and Nematoda dominate. Acari, or mites, feed on microorganisms and regulate the dispersal of microbial propagules (Behan and Hill 1978).
The total number of species of Acari is estimated to be nearly 100,000 (Schatz 2002).
Acari are important decomposers in almost all habitats; their distribution ranges from
arid coniferous forests to floodplain forests to salt marshes (Usher 1975; Mitchell
1979; Weigmann 2009). The least diverse of these three groups, Collembola, or
springtails, includes more than 7600 known species, more than all mammal species
and three-quarters of the known number of bird species. Collembola contribute to the
regulation of fungal populations (Warnock et al. 1982) and to the establishment of
relationships between plants and mycorrhizal fungi (Gange 2000) in the soil.
Sclerotia-forming fungi and mesofauna are only some of the wide variety of
organisms in soil ecosystems. Each organism has interrelated roles and functions
contributing to important soil processes involving nutrient cycles in the rhizosphere
(Fig. 3.1). Some ectomycorrhizal fungi form sclerotia, and this process may occur in
response to grazing by soil mesofauna. However, few studies have investigated the
relationships between sclerotia and mesofauna by analyzing the ectomycorrhizal
fungal community. Knowledge of this relationship may contribute to the understanding of how sclerotia formation is influenced by mesofauna.
Fig. 3.1 Associations between ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil organisms. When environmental
conditions are unfavorable, the mycelia of ectomycorrhizae harden and form sclerotia for survival.
In addition, ectomycorrhizae are grazed by mesofauna such as Acari, Collembola, and Nematoda
(Amasya 2014)
36
A. Amasya and K. Narisawa
Thysanura, Tardigrada, and others. In terms of numerical abundance and diversity,
the Acari, Collembola, and Nematoda dominate. Acari, or mites, feed on microorganisms and regulate the dispersal of microbial propagules (Behan and Hill 1978).
The total number of species of Acari is estimated to be nearly 100,000 (Schatz 2002).
Acari are important decomposers in almost all habitats; their distribution ranges from
arid coniferous forests to floodplain forests to salt marshes (Usher 1975; Mitchell
1979; Weigmann 2009). The least diverse of these three groups, Collembola, or
springtails, includes more than 7600 known species, more than all mammal species
and three-quarters of the known number of bird species. Collembola contribute to the
regulation of fungal populations (Warnock et al. 1982) and to the establishment of
relationships between plants and mycorrhizal fungi (Gange 2000) in the soil.
Sclerotia-forming fungi and mesofauna are only some of the wide variety of
organisms in soil ecosystems. Each organism has interrelated roles and functions
contributing to important soil processes involving nutrient cycles in the rhizosphere
(Fig. 3.1). Some ectomycorrhizal fungi form sclerotia, and this process may occur in
response to grazing by soil mesofauna. However, few studies have investigated the
relationships between sclerotia and mesofauna by analyzing the ectomycorrhizal
fungal community. Knowledge of this relationship may contribute to the understanding of how sclerotia formation is influenced by mesofauna.
Fig. 3.1 Associations between ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil organisms. When environmental
conditions are unfavorable, the mycelia of ectomycorrhizae harden and form sclerotia for survival.
In addition, ectomycorrhizae are grazed by mesofauna such as Acari, Collembola, and Nematoda
(Amasya 2014)
36
A. Amasya and K. Narisawa