Any branch of biology depends for its progress on the development of new concepts and to a lesser, but sometimes crucial, extent on the elimination of erroneous notions. Understanding the roles of bacteria required first the observation that such minute creatures existed, and subsequently the exper imental demonstrations that their presence was necessary for the occurrence of particular phenomena. In this first volume, the authors review the development of scientific understanding of the role of microbes as agents of diverse natural processes. Notably absent is a separate review of the...

Any branch of biology depends for its progress on the development of new concepts and to a lesser, but sometimes crucial, extent on the elimination of erroneous notions. Understanding the roles of bacteria required first the observation that such minute creatures existed, and subsequently the exper- imental demonstrations that their presence was necessary for the occurrence of particular phenomena. In this first volume, the authors review the development of scientific understanding of the role of microbes as agents of diverse natural processes. Notably absent is a separate review of the...

The value of studies of monotypic populations is constantly argued in bacterial ecology. The controversy itself is evidenceofthe strong awareness that bacterial activities in natural sites are not determined by the bacteria alone. At the same time, the best evidence that bacteria are influenced by environmental factors is the contrast between their behavior in laboratory cultures and their relatively subdued influence when in the presence of com petitors, predators, and fluctuating-often stressful-environmental conditions. Monotypic populations are admittedly reductionist, but are not...