THE FREQUENCY, INTENSITY AND DURATION OF SEVERE DROUGHTS AND HEAT WAVES ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE, AFFECTING TREE GROWTH AND SURVIVAL. TREES HAVE ADOPTED A NUMBER OF STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO WITHSTAND SUCH CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO STORE WATER IN THE WOOD THAT DOES NOT NORMALLY GET USED BY THE TREE AND THAT CAN BE USED AS A BUFFER TO SUSTAIN THE FLOW OF WATER WHEN DROUGHT STRIKES. HOWEVER, WHILE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT STORED WATER MAY ACCOUNT FOR UP TO 50% OF DAILY WATER USE IN SOME TREE SPECIES, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH WATER DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TREES ARE CAPABLE OF STORING AND USING REMAINS LIMITED.THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE THAT WOOD WATER STORAGE PLAYS IN DROUGHT RESILIENCE. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO SURVEY VARIATION IN WOOD WATER STORAGE WITHIN AND AMONG KEY TREE SPECIES, DETERMINE THE CAPACITY FOR TREES TO USED THAT STORED WATER, AND ESTABLISH THE WOOD ANATOMICAL TRAITS THAT GOVERN THAT VARIATION. TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES, WE HAVE BUILT A TEAM OF COLLABORATORS FROM EIGHT SITES AROUND THE UNITED STATES TO HELP SAMPLE 25 OF THE MOST COMMON AND IMPORTANT TREE SPECIES. OURS WILL BE THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE STUDY EVER CONDUCTED AND TRANSFORM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE OF TREES TO DROUGHT. THE RESULTS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ABILITY TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT WHICH TREE SPECIES TO PLANT IN A GIVEN A LOCATION AND ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR FORESTRY, AGROFORESTRY, AND AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.