Vega, José AntonioÁlvarez González, Juan GabrielArellano Pérez, StéfanoFernández, CristinaRuiz González, Ana Daría2025-10-292025-10-292024-04-09Vega, J.A.; Álvarez- González, J.G.; Arellano-Pérez, S.; Fernández, C.; Ruiz-González, A.D. Site Quality Models and Fuel Load Dynamic Equation Systems Disaggregated by Size Fractions and Vegetative States in Gorse and High Heath Shrublands in Galicia (NW Spain). Fire 2024, 7, 126. https:// doi.org/10.3390/fire7040126https://hdl.handle.net/10347/43500Compatible model systems were developed for estimating fuel load dynamics in Ulex europaeus (gorse) and in Erica australis (Spanish heath) dominated shrub communities at stand level. The models were based on intensive, detailed destructive field sampling and were fitted simultaneously to fulfill the additivity principle. The models enable, for the first time, estimation of the biomass dynamics of the total shrub layer, size fractions and vegetative stage, with reasonably good accuracy. The approach used addresses the high variability in shrub biomass estimates by using a site index (SI) based on biomass levels at a reference age of 10 years. Analysis of the effect of climatic variables on site index confirmed the preference of gorse for mild temperatures and the ability of high heath communities to tolerate a wider range of temperatures. In the gorse communities, SI tended to increase as summer rainfall and the mean temperature of the coldest month increased. However, in the heath communities, no relationships were observed between SI and any of the climatic variables analyzed. The study findings may be useful for assessing and monitoring fuel hazards, updating fuel mapping, planning and implementing fuel reduction treatments and predicting fire behavior, among other important ecological and biomass use-related applications.eng© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Attribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Ulex europaeusErica australisAdditivitySite indexClimatic conditionsDead ratioFine ratioMean annual incrementFuel managementFuel hazardjournal article10.3390/fire7040126open access