ABSTRACT
Identification of bacterial consorms is a challenge for lumpers because they want to identify each bacterium within a consorm. This means that the consorm structure must be damaged to remove bacteria that are identifiable as distinct strains or communities. This atlas takes the position that the identification of a bacteriologically dominated consorm should be performed at a structural level based on its location in the environment by examining the form and location (habitat) and base the identification of the consorm primarily on those findings (see Chapter 4 with more detail in Chapter 7). This approach is general and does not attempt to identify particular strains of bacteria as important consormial components at this stage. Three steps aimed toward the identification of bacteria within a consorm allow refinement of the identification process: two biochemical methodologies outlined in this chapter and cultural methods using Bacteriological Activity Reaction Test (BART™) systems described in Chapter 9.
