# Questions about "--min\_abudance"

**URL:** <https://forum.biobakery.org/t/questions-about-min-abudance/7230>\
**Category:** MaAsLin\
**Created:** [July 5, 2024, 5:54am UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/questions-about-min-abudance/7230 "2024-07-05T05:54:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![XiuChao\_Wang](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/xiuchao_wang/32/2913_2.png) [@XiuChao\_Wang](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/XiuChao_Wang)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2024, 5:54am UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/questions-about-min-abudance/7230/1 "2024-07-05T05:54:37Z")

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When I set the min\_abundance to 0 (min\_abundance = 0), if the abundance values of one of the features add up to zero,that feature is excluded, right?  
The min\_abundance is to fiter the sum of the abundances of each feature, is that the understanding?

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**Author:** ![nearinj](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/nearinj/32/2135_2.png) [@nearinj](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/nearinj)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 12:40pm UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/questions-about-min-abudance/7230/2 "2024-07-12T12:40:23Z")

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Hi @XiuChao_Wang,

Check out this forum post here where we explain how min\_abundance and min\_prevelance work together!

> [@Question regarding how min\_prevalence and min\_abundance work in Maaslin2](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/question-regarding-how-min-prevalence-and-min-abundance-work-in-maaslin2/7160/3):
>
> Hello @tamardigrade The min\_abundance filter drops bugs that don’t have enough samples above the specified value in the unnormalized input data. The min abundance and min prevalence checks occur before normalization so it will use whatever type of data you use as the input. Thanks, Jacob Nearing

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,  
Jacob