**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WIREGRASS (ARISTIDA BEYRICHIANA) IS AN ESSENTIAL DRIVER OF THE VEGETATION-FIRE FEEDBACK THAT PROMOTES THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF IMPERILED LONGLEAF PINE (PINUS PALUSTRIS) SAVANNAS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN USA. A CONCERNING LIMITATION TO WIDESPREAD WIREGRASS RESTORATION IS THE POTENTIAL FOR POPULATIONS TO BE ADAPTED TO LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (ECOTYPES) THAT AFFECT PLANT PERFORMANCE AND SEED STORAGE CAPACITY. THIS CONSTRAINT SEVERELY LIMITS WHERE SEEDS CAN BE SOURCED AND HOW THEY CAN BE STORED FOR RESTORATION. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO EXPAND RESTORATION CAPACITY BY IDENTIFYING MECHANISMS LIMITING ESTABLISHMENT OF SUSTAINABLE WIREGRASS POPULATIONS FROM SEED SOURCED FROM DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. WE PROPOSE TO: (1) DETERMINE WHETHER SEEDING RATE AND/OR PRESENCE OF NOVEL COMPETITORS LIMITS ECOTYPE PERFORMANCE; (2) IDENTIFY WHETHER ENDOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI AND/OR WATER AVAILABILITY AFFECT ECOTYPE PERFORMANCE; AND (3) TEST WHETHER ECOTYPE SEEDS DIFFER IN VIABILITY, MORPHOLOGY, OR PHYSIOLOGY, WHICH WILL INFORM LONG-TERM SEED STORAGE CAPACITY. WE WILL RECIPROCALLY SOW SEEDS ADAPTED TO WET OR DRY ENVIRONMENTS IN THE FIELD AND QUANTIFY THEIR PERFORMANCE (I.E., VITAL RATES) AND MYCORRHIZAL ASSOCIATIONS. WE WILL ALSO DETERMINE SEED VIABILITY AND DESICCATION AND AGING TOLERANCE OF EACH ECOTYPE.THIS PROJECT PROVIDES SPECIFIC SUPPORT FOR PRIORITY NEEDS FOR FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, ADDITIONALLY ADDRESSING GOALS OF THE USDA NRCS LONGLEAF PINE INITIATIVE AND THE USDA-SUPPORTED NATIONAL NATIVE SEED STRATEGY. WE SEEK TO ADVANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF COMPLEX, FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISMS THAT UNDERLIE BIOTIC CONSTRAINTS TO WIDESPREAD, SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION. RESEARCH OUTCOMES WILL HELP OPTIMIZE THE TIME AND MONEY INVESTED ACROSS A BROAD GEOGRAPHIC AREA, MAXIMIZING RETURNS ON THIS INVESTMENT.