** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PRESCRIBED FIRE IS INCREASINGLY USED IN FORESTS OF THE EASTERN U.S. TO HELP MAINTAIN HABITAT FOR PLANTS AND ANIMALS, TO IMPROVE TREE GROWTH AND TO HELP PROTECT FORESTS FROM WILDFIRE.BUT, PRESCRIBED FIRE COMES WITH A TRADE OFF --- WHILE FIRES HELP MAINTAIN FORESTS, THEY ALSO BURN WOOD AND PLANT LITTER, WHICHCONTRIBUTESTO THE RISING CONCENTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE. PRESCRIBED FIRES MAY OFFSET THESE CARBON LOSSES IF THEY INCREASE CARBONSTORAGEIN SOIL. REGULAR BURNING MAY IMPROVE SOIL CARBON STORAGE BY CREATINGCOMPOUNDS, SUCH AS FINE CHARCOAL OR STICKY ORGANIC MATTER, THAT REMAIN LOCKED AWAY IN SOILFOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS OR MORE.THE MICROBES THAT LIVE IN SOILS MAY ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN HELPING CREATE THESE STABLE COMPOUNDS. HOWEVER,WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ABOUT HOW PRESCRIBED FIRE AFFECTS SOIL CARBON AND SOIL MICROBES.OUR GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW PRESCRIBED FIRE AFFECTS SOIL CARBON AND SOIL MICROBES. WE WILL SAMPLE SOILS FROM NINE LONG-TERM FIRE EXPERIMENTS ACROSS EIGHT STATES (GEORGIA, FLORIDA, ALABAMA, LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, NORTH CAROLINA, KENTUCKY AND OHIO) IN PINE AND OAK FORESTS. THESE EXPERIMENTS HAVE REGULAR BURNTREATMENTS AND UNBURNED CONTROLS,THAT HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED FOR 13-71 YEARS. WE WILL SAMPLE SOILS FROM THESE FORESTS AND MEASURE SOILCARBON,TO DETERMINE IF PRESCRIBED FIRE CHANGES THE AMOUNT OF SOIL CARBON AND THE STABILITY OF THAT CARBON. WE WILL ALSO MEASURE THE COMPOSITION OF SOIL MICROBES AND DETERMINE IF THEY CHANGE IN RESPONSE TO FIRE, AND IF THEY HAVE TRAITS THAT COULD IMPROVE SOIL CARBON STORAGE.THE RESULTS OF OUR RESEARCH WILL HELP LAND OWNERS AND LAND MANAGERS MAKE DECISIONSABOUT BURNING THEIRFORESTS IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM OUR STUDY WILL HELP MANAGERS ASSESS WHETHER THEIR FORESTS ARE GAINING CARBON (REMOVING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE ATMOSPHERE) OR LOSING CARBON (ADDING CARBON DIOXIDE TO THE ATMOSPHERE). WE EXPECT TO FIND THATPRESCRIBED FIREINCREASES THE STABILITY OF SOILCARBON. IF THIS IS CONFIRMED BY OUR RESEARCH, IT WOULD MEAN THAT SOIL CARBON STORAGE MITIGATES THE CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCED BY EACH FIRE. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT SOCIETY BENEFITS FROM THE USE OF PRESCRIBED FIRE TO MAINTAIN TIMBER RESOURCES, BIODIVERSITY AND CARBON STORAGE IN TREES. OUR RESEARCH WILL TEST ANOTHER POTENTIAL SOCIETALBENEFIT OF PRESCRIBED FIRE -- INCREASED SOIL CARBON STORAGE.