BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//pretalx//talks.osgeo.org//qgis-uc2026//talk//JKVGKZ
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:CET
BEGIN:STANDARD
DTSTART:20001029T040000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=10
TZNAME:CET
TZOFFSETFROM:+0200
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:20000326T030000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=-1SU;BYMONTH=3
TZNAME:CEST
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0200
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:pretalx-qgis-uc2026-JKVGKZ@talks.osgeo.org
DTSTART;TZID=CET:20261006T153000
DTEND;TZID=CET:20261006T160000
DESCRIPTION:ForestPlots.net supports researchers worldwide in managing long
 -term forest inventory data with a focus on tropical forests. Hosting one 
 of the longest and most comprehensive records of forest change from 1939
 –2026\, the platform tracks 4 million trees across 9\,500 forest plots a
 nd 20\,000 species\, many in remote regions of the tropics. These long-ter
 m censuses are essential for monitoring biodiversity change\, estimating c
 arbon stocks\, and understanding forest dynamics. By combining quality-ass
 ured long-term records and a distributed ownership model\, ForestPlots.net
  facilitates rigorous\, equitable and impactful worldwide research (Forest
 Plots.net et al. 2021). \n\nForestPlots.net’s success and wide acceptanc
 e stem from using highly standardised formats to allow common workflows an
 d analyses from data collected by thousands of different researchers condu
 cting on-the-ground measurements on individual trees in over 20 tropical c
 ountries. This data has been used to reveal\, for example\, the role of re
 maining intact tropical forests in absorbing globally significant quantiti
 es of carbon from the atmosphere and slowing climate change (Hubau et al. 
 2020\, Nature). Current work is assessing the vulnerability of this global
  carbon sink to ongoing climate change and whether we are approaching a ti
 pping point where remaining forests could become a carbon source.  \n\nHow
 ever\, collecting data in a fully compliant structure is difficult when re
 lying on paper forms. Paper workflows introduce transcription errors\, req
 uire extensive post-processing\, and make it challenging to precisely loca
 te trees in the field—issues intensified by remote working conditions wi
 th limited internet and electricity and frequent wet conditions. Given the
  global scale and diversity of researchers collaborating with ForestPlots.
 net\, improving data capture at the source has substantial potential impac
 t. \n\nTo address these challenges\, we are developing a digital data coll
 ection workflow using R and QGIS for structured data preparation and QFiel
 d for field-ready mobile surveys. This system allows teams to record stand
 ardised ForestPlots.net variables directly on Android tablets\, capture re
 quired and optional attributes and accurately identify tree locations in t
 he forest. Early testing indicates that the QGIS/QField workflow significa
 ntly reduces collection-to-upload time and improves data quality by elimin
 ating manual digitisation\, while complementary herbarium specimen collect
 ion provides an independent check on species identification. \n\nThis pres
 entation demonstrates the workflow: preparing project templates in QGIS\, 
 structuring attribute forms according to ForestPlots.net standards\, deplo
 ying projects via QField\, and synchronising outputs back into the ForestP
 lots.net database. We will also share lessons learned from on-the-ground t
 raining activities and data collection\, including device recommendations\
 , offline operation strategies\, common user pitfalls\, and practical tips
  for challenging field environments. \n\nLooking ahead\, we are developing
  an RShiny tool to allow users to upload ForestPlots.net outputs and autom
 atically generate QField-ready projects without needing R experience. By t
 ransitioning from paper to a spatially aware digital workflow\, ForestPlot
 s.net aims to improve efficiency\, consistency\, and data quality in long-
 term tropical forest monitoring and climate and biodiversity research.
DTSTAMP:20260724T192758Z
LOCATION:Capalari
SUMMARY:Improving ForestPlots.net Monitoring Efficiency Through Digital Dat
 a Collection with QGIS and QField - Nika Gorski
URL:https://talks.osgeo.org/qgis-uc2026/talk/JKVGKZ/
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR