** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CLIMATE CHANGE IS LEADING TO MORE FREQUENT, AND MORE EXTREME COMPOUND HOTTER-DROUGHT EVENTS GLOBALLY. IN THE SOUTHEASTERN US, THESE EVENTS HAVE LED TO CLIMATE-INDUCED GROWTH DECLINES AND HAVE EVEN CAUSED RECENT MORTALITY IN LOBLOLLY PINE--THE MOST ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT TIMBER SPECIES IN THE REGION. FUTURE CLIMATE PROJECTIONS INDICATE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL RISK TO GROWTH AND SURVIVAL POTENTIALLY COSTING BILLIONS IN LOST VALUE TO SOUTHEASTERN FORESTLAND OWNERS AND INDUSTRY. YET THE CLIMATE-RESILIENCE FOR BOTH GROWTH (TO SUSTAIN VALUE) AND SURVIVAL (TO PREVENT MASSIVE ECONOMIC LOSSES) REMAINS LARGELY UNKNOWN BOTH IN ADULTS AND JUVENILES. DURING HOTTER-DROUGHT STRESS, A COMPLEX SUITE OF TRAITS DETERMINES WHEN PLANTS WILL STOP GROWING, WITH IMPORTANT PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND THRESHOLDS ACTING AS MECHANISMS OF REDUCED PLANT GROWTH AND SURVIVAL.OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE CLIMATE-RESILIENCE OF LOBLOLLY PINE PLANTATIONS WHILE PRESERVING PRODUCTION BY IDENTIFYING CLIMATE-READY GENOTYPES FOR DEPLOYMENT TODAY, AND CLIMATE-RESILIENT IDEOTYPES (IDEAL TRAIT COMBINATIONS) TO INFORM BREEDING EFFORTS IN THE MOST ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FOREST TREE SPECIES IN THE US. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO DETERMINE GENETICALLY-BASED GROWTH AND SURVIVAL TRAIT COMBINATIONS THAT CONFER CLIMATE RESILIENCE IN LOBLOLLY PINE, AND TO DISCOVER IDEAL CLIMATE-RESILIENT GROWTH AND SURVIVAL TRAIT COMBINATIONS ACROSS DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE SPECIES.OUR STUDY DIRECTLY ADDRESSES GOALS AND PRIORITIES OF THE PHYSIOLOGY OF AGRICULTURAL PLANTS AS WE FOCUS ON HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING SURVIVAL, UNDER FUTURE HOTTER-AND-DRIER CLIMATES ASSOCIATED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE. WE WILL REVEAL MECHANISMS OF PLANT RESPONSE TO ABIOTIC STRESS, BY FUSING PHYSIOLOGICAL, GENOMIC, AND SPECTRAL METHODS WITH MECHANISTIC MODELS.