Intermediate QGIS for Ecologists and Environmental Practitioners (Ireland)

This course is aimed at those who have some experience with QGIS and wish to improve their skills. The course focuses especially on creating good quality spatial datasets and interrogating ecological GIS data.

The course will focus on techniques for quickly and efficiently digitising complex maps and how to correct digitising errors using a range of QGIS tools. Users will learn how to import data from a variety of sources, how to georeference background maps for use in QGIS and how to access online GIS data. We will also cover how to use QGIS as a tool for data analysis including querying data to create subsets of features from layers and analysing spatial relationships between features. The event will combine demonstration with exercises to consolidate learning after every session. There will be some pre-event work to help to ensure all delegates have a similar level of QGIS knowledge prior to attendance. Participants should bring their own laptop with QGIS and relevant plug ins installed. Further details will be provided prior to the training.

All ecologists and conservation practitioners, including ecological consultants, local authority biodiversity officers, state and semi-state ecologists, rangers and land managers, and NGOs.

Intermediate

This course assumes that you have some basic experience with QGIS. Please make sure you know how to: • Open layers and navigate around the main window, panels and toolbars. • Assign and change coordinate reference systems (CRSs), such as ITM, Irish Grid and Pseudomercator • Change layer symbology and labels • Use basic digitising tools • Edit attribute tables • Load plugins

• 1. Import/export data to/from other GIS software, AutoCAD and spreadsheets. Georeference scanned maps.
• 2. Improve speed and accuracy of digitising
• 3. Reduce and resolve vector layer errors and topology problems
• 4. Access and use data from Web Mapping and Feature Services (WMS/WFS)
• 5. Interrogate ecological data by carrying out queries
• 6. Analyse ecological data by using geoprocessing tools