Short-eared Owl Habitat Quality Model for Southern Quebec

A habitat quality model predicts the probability of short-eared owl presence in southern Quebec during the nesting season. It is based on species presence data and environmental variables modeled across 64-hectare analysis units. The model was developed by the Government of Québec to prioritize field inventories.

Use Cases

• Identify high-probability habitat cells for short-eared owl conservation planning using the modeled presence probability.
• Analyze the correlation between environmental variables and predicted owl presence to understand nesting season habitat drivers.
• Prioritize field inventory locations by overlaying the model's probability raster with land-use maps.
• Assess habitat suitability changes by comparing the model's environmental variable layers with future land cover projections.

Strengths

• Model is based on species presence data and multiple environmental variables specific to the nesting period.
• Spatial analysis uses standardized 64-hectare units (800m x 800m cells) for consistent mapping.
• Includes a detailed technical report documenting the study area, data, and modeling methodology.
• Data is provided in multiple geospatial formats (SHP, GEOJSON, GPKG) for interoperability.

Limitations

• The model is a 'rough representation' and cannot confirm species absence at a specific location.
• Input data sources, sample sizes, and temporal coverage for the presence and environmental data are not specified.
• Model accuracy and validation metrics are not provided in the available metadata.

Provenance

Source

Government and Municipalities of Québec

Collection Method

Model based on species presence data and modeling of environmental variables of interest during the nesting period.

Time Range

Nesting season (specific years not provided).

Freshness

null

Geography

Southern Quebec.