Habitat Analysis using QGIS 3.22 and QuickMapServices Plugin

Purpose

The overall objective of this tutorial is to develop the spatial analysis and cartographic skills within the open-source software QGIS 3.10. By using the QuickMapServices plugin, users should be able to see the applicability of the add-on and be able to use it going forward in their own mapping careers. This tutorial will follow a step-by-step process that will determine ideal habitat locations for a hypothetical animal within Algonquin Park Ontario. With all of the data being open-sourced and QGIS being free, the entirety of this tutorial can be completed by anyone with a well-functioning computer or laptop.

Data Management and Setup

Required Programs and Plugins (Windows 64-Bit)

• The following programs are required to complete the tutorial. Please visit the URL’s attached and follow the steps to successfully install QGIS 3.10 (long-term release) along with the Open Layer Plugin. Please note: the following tutorial is being completed on a computer using Windows 10 as its OS.

Download Links

• 1) QGIS 3.10 [1]
• 2) QuickMapServices Plugin

QGIS 3.10 Download

Data Management for the Tutorial

• Data being used are all accessible through Ontario GeoHub. When downloading the datasets, be sure to select the shapefile option within Ontario Geohub as this will be the format that we will be using later on in our tutorial (See figure 2 for additional context)
  • Provincial Park Boundaries [2]
  • Ontario Watershed [3]
  • Digital Elevation Model of Ontario [4]
  • Road Network within Ontario [5]