Map habitats and species under the canopy, offline

Capture habitat polygons, species observations, photos, and audio with GPS, on a tablet that runs all day without signal.

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QField for Forest Habitat and Biodiversity Mapping

Map habitats, species observations, and biodiversity features under forest canopy with QField, QGIS, and QFieldCloud, fully offline.

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Field workflows

Habitat and biodiversity teams use QField to map:

  • Habitat type and condition as polygons
  • Species observations with location, count, and photos
  • Deadwood, veteran trees, and microhabitat features
  • Audio recordings for acoustic species such as birds and amphibians
  • Repeat survey points for monitoring over time

Built for sensitive data

Biodiversity data is often sensitive. The precise location of a protected species is exactly the information that needs to be handled with care. With QField the data lives in your own QGIS project and your own QFieldCloud account, or on a server you host yourself. QField and QFieldCloud are open source and self-hostable, so you decide what is captured, who can see it, and what is ever shared beyond your team.

One workflow with QGIS and QFieldCloud

Prepare the survey project in QGIS , push it to every device through QFieldCloud , and sync at the end of each day. Surveyors work offline for as long as they are in the field, and conflict-safe merges keep a whole team working the same area without losing records.

Biodiversity and habitat mapping with QField

Looking for the broader picture? See QField for forestry and silviculture → .

Common Challenges

  • Habitat boundaries sketched on paper maps that never quite line up back at the office
  • Species observations recorded in notebooks with inconsistent names and no precise location
  • Sensitive species locations that need to be captured carefully and kept controlled
  • Photos and audio recordings separated from the observation they belong to
  • GPS drift under dense canopy placing features in the wrong location
  • Volunteers and specialists working from different forms and field methods

Why Teams Choose QField

  • Captures habitat polygons, species points, photos, and audio in one structured record
  • Works fully offline by default under dense canopy and in remote terrain
  • Constrained forms keep species names and habitat codes consistent across surveyors
  • Compatible with external GNSS receivers for accurate feature positioning
  • Open source and self-hostable, so sensitive data stays under your control

Frequently Asked

Can I record habitat polygons and species points in the same project?

Yes. QField handles point, line, and polygon layers in a single project. Habitat polygons, species observations, and features like deadwood can all be captured and related to one another.

Does QField capture audio for species like birds or amphibians?

Yes. QField records audio as an attachment field, alongside photos and video. The recording is stored against the observation with its location and capture time.

How accurate is positioning for habitat features under canopy?

Built-in tablet GPS typically gives accuracy of a few metres. For survey-grade positioning under canopy, pair QField with a Bluetooth GNSS receiver. RTK corrections bring positioning to centimetres.

Can I keep sensitive species locations under control?

Yes. Your data lives in your own QGIS project and QFieldCloud account, or a server you host yourself. QField and QFieldCloud are open source and self-hostable, so you decide what is captured and what is ever shared.

Can I enforce consistent species and habitat coding?

Yes. Configure value-relation widgets for species and habitat lists and constraints in QGIS. QField enforces them on the tablet, so surveyors cannot enter invalid values.

Does QField work offline in remote habitat?

Yes. QField runs fully offline by default. Basemaps, layers, and forms are loaded onto the device beforehand, and the whole survey runs without a network connection.

Can multiple surveyors map the same area at once?

Yes. With QFieldCloud each surveyor gets their own offline copy. Changes merge automatically on sync, so a team can cover a large area without overwriting each other.

What data formats does QField use for habitat data?

QField writes to GeoPackage, shapefile, PostGIS, and any other format QGIS supports. Habitat geometry, species records, photos, and audio all stay together in the project.

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