PINE FORESTS SUPPORT THE ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN. THEY PROVIDE TIMBER AND OTHER FOREST PRODUCTS FOR REGIONAL ECONOMIES, ARE USED FOR FOOD AND SHELTER BY MANY ANIMAL SPECIES, STORE CARBON, AND REDUCE FLOODING. FIRES ARE A NATURAL PART OF HEALTHY PINE FORESTS; GRASSES FUEL FIRES THAT KILL SOME TREES SO THERE IS ENOUGH SUNLIGHT AND SPACE FOR MORE YOUNG PINE TREES TO GROW. BUT IN SOME LOCATIONS, FIRES BURN TOO FREQUENTLY, KILLING TOO MANY YOUNG PINES; IN OTHER LOCATIONS FIRES DO NOT BURN FREQUENTLY ENOUGH, ALLOWING THE FOREST TO BECOME TOO SHADY AND DENSE FOR PINES TO GROW. THIS PROJECT IS AN INVESTIGATION OF HOW FIRES AFFECT GRASS AND PINE GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION TO IDENTIFY THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE FIRE FOR HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE PINE FORESTS NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.I WILL STUDY GRASS AND PINE POPULATIONS IN FLORIDA AND IN BELIZE. I WILL MARK AND MEASURE GRASSES AND PINES IN AREAS THAT BURN FREQUENTLY AND INFREQUENTLY, AND AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR. IN EACH OF THESE AREAS, I WILL RECORD HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS SURVIVE, HOW MUCH THEY GROW, HOW MANY SEEDS THEY PRODUCE, AND HOW MANY SEEDS SUCCESSFULLY GERMINATE AND SURVIVE. THESE DATA WILL BE USED TO MODEL HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF FIRES AFFECT GRASS AND PINE POPULATIONS OVER MANY YEARS. THIS INFORMATION WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW TO SAFELY MANAGE FIRE SO THAT HEALTHY PINE FORESTS CAN SUSTAINABLY BENEFIT HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.