“Create a microbial sample dendrogram with Soil A, Soil B and Soil C in a Soil samples cluster; Lake A, Lake B and Lake C in a Lake samples cluster; a community-distance scale; and a cut at 2.5.”
Read the decisions behind it.
Preserve location and replicate information in every leaf label.
Label the soil and lake groups so the environmental comparison is immediate.
State the community distance metric before interpreting the merge heights.
Use this pattern for a small subset of environmental samples when the major grouping is more important than individual abundance values.
Other examples in this family.
Common questions
What does a microbial sample dendrogram compare?
It compares samples by a selected measure of community similarity or distance. Samples that merge lower are more similar under that measure.
Why label the sample environment?
Environment labels make the biological comparison clear and let readers connect the clusters to the collection design.
Can I add more sampling sites?
Yes, but keep a card-sized diagram focused on the sites needed for the comparison. Use a larger full tree when many samples must be shown.