Bio26_art8.pdf

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of data separation treatment on the estimation of the diffusion/dispersal coefficient in ecological and epidemiological problems. In a previous study, a method for estimating the diffusion coefficient was developed and validated under the assumption of a single focal point of relevant events. The validation of this method relied on simulation techniques for diffusivity-based data. In the present study, we extend this approach by considering cases with two geographically distinct focal points. Two different data generation experiments were conducted and analyzed in detail using the K-means clustering algorithm. Finally, a practical application is presented, focusing on avian influenza in Nigeria, where two different clustering algorithms were used to process latitude and longitude data.