Analysis of Community Structures in Environmental Samples

A community structure analysis (CSA) system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising:
• a taxa interaction module configured to,
• determine an abundance value for each of taxonomic groups with respect to each of a plurality of environmental samples;
• and
• compute an interaction factor for each pair of the taxonomic groups in the plurality of environmental samples, based in part on abundance values, wherein the interaction factor is indicative of a degree of interaction between a pair taxonomic groups from among the taxonomic groups;
• and
• a community structure (CS) analysis module configured to,
• create a taxa interaction profile based on the interaction factors, wherein the taxa interaction profile is indicative of interactions among the taxonomic groups;
• and
• generate a community structure analysis profile based on the taxa interaction profile, wherein the community structure analysis profile is indicative of clustering of the plurality of the environmental samples.

A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method for vehicle allocation and routing, the method comprising:

• determining an abundance value for each of taxonomic groups with respect to each of a plurality of environmental samples based on a taxonomic summary file associated with a corresponding environmental sample;
• computing an interaction factor for each pair of the taxonomic groups in the plurality of environmental samples, based on abundance values;
• creating a taxa interaction profile based on interaction factors, wherein the taxa interaction profile is indicative of interactions among the taxonomic groups;
• and
• generating a community structure analysis profile based in part on the taxa interaction profile, wherein the community structure analysis profile is indicative of a comparative representation of the community structures within the plurality of environmental samples.