Department of Planning and Administration, National Agricultural Research Center for Hokkaido Region, 1 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-8555, Japan.
Microbes Environ. 2009;24(1):14-20. doi: 10.1264/jsme2.me09101.
Snow molds are a group of fungi that attack dormant plants under snow. In this paper, their survival strategies are illustrated with regard to adaptation to the unique environment under snow. Snow molds consist of diverse taxonomic groups and are divided into obligate and facultative fungi. Obligate snow molds exclusively prevail during winter with or without snow, whereas facultative snow molds can thrive even in the growing season of plants. Snow molds grow at low temperatures in habitats where antagonists are practically absent, and host plants deteriorate due to inhibited photosynthesis under snow. These features characterize snow molds as opportunistic parasites. The environment under snow represents a habitat where resources available are limited. There are two contrasting strategies for resource utilization, i.e., individualisms and collectivism. Freeze tolerance is also critical for them to survive freezing temperatures, and several mechanisms are illustrated. Finally, strategies to cope with annual fluctuations in snow cover are discussed in terms of predictability of the habitat.
雪霉是一组攻击雪下休眠植物的真菌。本文阐述了它们的生存策略，即适应雪下独特的环境。雪霉包含多样化的分类群，分为专性和兼性真菌。专性雪霉仅在冬季有雪或无雪的情况下盛行，而兼性雪霉即使在植物生长季节也能茁壮成长。雪霉在低温下生长，在没有拮抗物的栖息地中，由于雪下光合作用受到抑制，寄主植物会恶化。这些特征使雪霉成为机会性寄生虫。雪下环境是一种资源有限的栖息地。有两种资源利用的对比策略，即个体主义和集体主义。它们对耐冻结性也有很高的要求，文中也有相关机制的阐述。最后，根据栖息地的可预测性，讨论了应对雪盖年度波动的策略。
