Intro

This page shows different uses of QGIS with the LA Portals

Adding Layers to Spatial.

Read Adding-Layers.

Connecting to the ALA WMS in QGIS

This guide explains how to set up a WMS connection in QGIS to access species occurrence layers from our LA portals.

Steps to Add the WMS in QGIS

1. Open QGIS and go to the Browser Panel on the left side of the window.
2. Right-click on WMS/WMTS and select New Connection.
3. In the Create a New WMS/WMTS Connection window, fill in the following details:
   • Name: Macropus (or any name of your choice)
   • URL:

     https://biocache-ws.ala.org.au/ws/ogc/ows?q=genus:Macropus
     

4. Under WMS/WMTS Options, you may need to adjust:
   • Enable Ignore GetFeatureInfo URI reported in capabilities if you encounter issues retrieving feature information.
   • Enable Ignore axis orientation (WMS 1.3/WMTS) if the layers are not aligned correctly.
5. Click OK to save the connection.
6. Expand the newly added WMS source in the Browser Panel.
7. Navigate through the taxonomic tree (e.g., Animalia -> Macropus -> Macropodidae).
8. Drag and drop the desired species layer onto the map.

Limitations and Workarounds

• The GetCapabilities request does not fully support all filtering and styling parameters.
• GetFeatureInfo may not function as expected in QGIS.
• If performance is slow, consider downloading the GetCapabilities XML manually and using a local copy instead of fetching it through QGIS.

Example Screenshot

Below is an example of a Macropus species occurrence layer displayed in QGIS.

More info.