EcoCondition Toolset – A QGIS plugin for ecosystem condition assessments

Ecosystem condition can be understood as the quality of an ecosystem in terms of its abiotic, biotic, and landscape characteristics. It is a measure of structural integrity, functional capacity, and resilience of any given ecological system. Its assessment is essential to support environmental objectives (e.g., nature restoration or sustainable use). Spatially explicit assessment of ecosystem condition requires integrating diverse geospatial data. Here, we present the EcoCondition Toolset, a QGIS plugin implementing a user-friendly GIS weighted-sum methodology for ecosystem condition assessments. It simplifies data preparation and analysis through five sequential toolsets: i) layer alignment and resampling; ii) no-data handling; iii) multicollinearity testing; iv) indicator normalisation and inversion; and v) condition assessment. The plugin calculates six specific ecosystem attribute - or state - composites (Physical, Chemical, Compositional, Structural, Functional, Landscape) from user-selected variables (in raster format), according to the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting. After data preparation and verification, the tool displays default equal weights for each composite and related variables, which users can adjust (e.g., to reflect stakeholder preferences). The toolset automates best-practice multicollinearity screening, normalisation, and flexible weighting for ecosystem condition assessment and monitoring. The resulting index preserves true severity and variation among ecosystem states. The results can support robust policy instruments and land-use decision-making, prioritising conservation and restoration actions.