Composition and structure of Mediterranean shrublands for fuel characterization

The Catalan Forest Fire Prevention Service (SPIF) and the Forest Science and Technology center (CTFC) present a relational database containing detailed and accurate information of woody composition and structure of shrub-like formations in the permanent  100-m² shrubland plots distributed in the NE of Iberian peninsula. The datasets provide valuable information to improve fire danger prediction, to study vegetation dynamics in relation to drought and fire, or to test aerial-based methodologies with ground-based information. 

The database includes information gathered in two projects: Combuscat and MatoSeg. Combuscat, with 571 100-m² plots, aimed to characterize shrubland structure and fuel load in Catalonia and was carried out by forest specialist members of Catalan Forest Rangers (Cos d’Agents Rurals, Generalitat de Catalunya). MatoSeg aimed to complement the database with information on vascular plant composition at different scales (1-m²,100-m², and 400-m² ) collected in a set of 24 plots: 13 plots in Catalonia, and 11 in the nearby regions of Aragon and Valencia.