**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** GROWING WINTER COVER CROPS IS A KEY DIVERSIFICATION PRACTICE TO ECOLOGICALLY INTENSIFY ORCHARDS UNDERSTORIES IN MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATES AND RECONCILE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC GOALS OF AGRICULTURE. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL COST-BENEFITS ASSESSMENTS OF COVER CROPS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN IRRIGATED SEMI-ARID LARGE-SCALE ORCHARD SYSTEMS.WE HAVE ASSEMBLED A UNIQUE TRANSDISCIPLINARY TEAM TO EXAMINE THE PROVISION OF TEN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY DIFFERENT COVER CROPS IN ALMOND ORCHARDS OF CALIFORNIA. WE PROPOSE TO TEST THE PERFORMANCE OF FUNCTIONALLY REDUNDANT VS FUNCTIONALLY DIVERSE SEED MIXES ON WEED AND NAVEL ORANGE WORM CONTROL, POLLINATION SUPPORT AND SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND ASSESS LINKAGES BETWEEN BENEFITS AND TRADEOFFS TO GUIDE MANAGEMENT. KNOWLEDGE OF ABOVE AND BELOWGROUND ECOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS AS A FUNCTION OF COVER CROP TRAITS WILL HELP BETTER PREDICT IMPACTS AND INFORM THE DESIGN OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES. WE WILL ALSO CONDUCT A COST-BENEFITS ECONOMIC BENEFITS BASED ON INPUT AND PUBLIC COSTS STRUCTURES AND EXPLORE NEW POLLINATION FEE REDUCTION. OUR METHODS AND APPROACH WILL SET STRONG BASIS FOR APPLICATIONS TO OTHER ORCHARD SYSTEMS AND RESULTS WILL PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE CAPACITY OF PLANT FUNCTIONAL TRAIT APPROACHES TO PREDICT ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND POTENTIAL TRADEOFFS TO GUIDE MECHANISTIC MODELS AND OPTIMIZATION SCENARIOS. ?