Abstract
In order to study the phenotypic response of indigenous soil bacterial community to soil diversity, fifty bacterial strains were isolated from four geographically different sites of Karachi. Among the soil bacterial strains, mostly were found to be gram-negative, facultative and lactose non-fomenter rods. Diversity in colonial morphology and antimicrobial tolerance phenotype was markedly found. Fourteen percent strains showed phenotypic characteristics specific for exopolysaccharides and cellulose production. Twenty four percent bacterial strains showed tolerance to different antibiotics, heavy metals and NaCl. These characters have indicated pollution in the sampling sites.
