title: Comment on "Computational improvements reveal great bacterial diversity and high metal toxicity in soil".
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistical Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. jab18@cornell.edu
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bunge
authors.forename: Slava S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D044822:Biodiversity; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D007700:Kinetics; D008433:Mathematics; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009695:Nucleic Acid Renaturation; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants