Appendix C. A table of silhouette widths and partana ratios for a select number of potential clusters and a table summarizing the potential conservation challenges and opportunities for each final land-use class.
TABLE C1. Silhouette widths and partana ratios for 3–7 clusters using a partitioning-around-mediods (PAM) clustering method. Higher values suggest a better fit. The bolded number of clusters was chosen for the final clustering.
|
No. clusters |
Partana ratio |
Silhouette width |
| 3 | 1.40 | 0.27 |
| 4 | 1.40 | 0.26 |
| 5 | 1.52 | 0.34 |
| 6 | 1.56 | 0.36 |
| 7 | 1.54 | 0.32 |
TABLE C2. Potential conservation challenges and opportunities for each land-use class.
| Potential Conservation Challenges | |
|
Wildland Protected |
- Maintenance and/or restoration of apex predators - Wildlife human conflicts - Resource extraction on public lands |
|
Wildland Developable |
- Loss of crucial habitats to development - Resource extraction on adjacent private lands |
| Agricultural |
- Little protected land leads to loss of connectivity - Invasive species spread from fallow/abandoned farmlands and along rivers - Water/air pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides - Conversion of agricultural land to low-density housing development |
| Exurban |
- Mesopredator release following loss of apex predators - High exurban development leads to loss of connectivity - Wildlife interactions with pets and or disease - High road density leads to fragmentation of remaining natural lands - Invasive species introductions and spread through roads and development - High levels of recreation disturbance in remaining natural lands |
| Urban |
- Loss of connectivity among remaining natural lands - Disrupted food webs after loss of apex predators - Invasive species introductions and spread - High levels of recreation disturbance in remaining natural lands - Water and air pollution from urban run-off and smog - High road density leads to fragmentation of remaining natural lands |
| Potential Conservation Opportunities | |
|
Wildland Protected |
- Maintain intact food chains (including apex predators) - Cooperative management with adjacent federal land agencies - Expansion of protected area through transfer of adjacent federal land |
|
Wildland evelopable |
- Land swaps or purchases of private land in crucial areas - Conservation easements to prevent development in crucial areas |
| Agricultural |
- Purchase of unproductive/abandoned farmland (by private or governmental) - Restoration of abandoned agricultural land |
| Exurban |
- Conservation easements to protect corridors and crucial habitats - Land-use planning to condense future development and leave open space |
| Urban |
- Active, well-funded conservation organizations - Endangered species conservation plans |