Comment on "Computational Improvements Reveal Great Bacterial Diversity and High Metal Toxicity in Soil"
John Bunge,1*
Slava S. Epstein,2
Daniel G. Peterson3
Gans
et al. (Reports, 26 August 2005, p. 1387) provided an estimate
of soil bacterial species richness two orders of magnitude greater
than previously reported values. Using a re-derived mathematical
model, we reanalyzed the data and found that the statistical
error exceeds the estimate by a factor of 26. We also note two
potential sources of error in the experimental data collection
and measurement procedures.
2 Department of Biology and Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
3 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jab18{at}cornell.edu
