Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

ISOLATION OF CELLULOSE-DECOMPOSING BACTERIA FROM LIBYAN SOILS

Saleh Hamad Bak, and G. Achuthan Nair

Abstract

Soils of some fruit-tree farms near Benghazi, Al-Marj and Sidi Khalifa were studied for bacteria that could utilize cellulose as the sole source of carbon and energy. Different genera of bacteria were isolated including Cytophaga. Also Staphylococcus was detected in most samples studied. Some of these genera of bacteria contain species which are known to be plant pathogens.