DROUGHT IMPACTS THE TIGHTLY INTERRELATED SYSTEMS OF CARBON AND WATER TRANSPORT, YIELDING A COMPLEX PROBLEM FOR PLANTS. DURING WATER STRESS, PLANTS CLOSE THE PORES ON THEIR LEAVES TO PREVENT WATER LOSS, BUT THIS ALSO PREVENTS CARBON UPTAKETHROUGH THOSE SAME PORES. PLANTS ULTIMATELY SUCCUMB TO WATER STRESS BY CARBON STARVATION THROUGH REDUCED CARBON CAPTURE (SUFFERING FROM HUNGER) AND HYDRAULIC FAILURE THROUGH REDUCED WATER TRANSPORT(SUFFERING FROM THIRST). HOWEVER, THE PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH PLANTS RESPOND TO WATER STRESS REMAIN POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THIS KNOWLEDGE GAP HINDERS OUR ABILITY TO PREDICT HOW PLANTS WILL RESPOND OVER THE SECOND HALF OF THE 21ST CENTURY AS THE INTENSITY AND SEVERITY OF DROUGHTS ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE. THIS WORK WILL FOCUS ON THE CHALLENGE OF WATER STRESS FOR AGRICULTURAL CROPS DUE TO THE BIOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES. THE OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO 1) ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CARBON AND WATER DYNAMICS IN CROPS UNDER WATER STRESS, 2) IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO PREDICT WHICH CROPS ARE MOST AT RISK OF DAMAGE UNDER GLOBAL CHANGE, AND 3) INFORM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR IRRIGATION AND CROP SELECTION TO OPTIMIZE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL, TOOLS FROM PLANT PHYSIOLOGY WILL BE COMBINED WITH CUTTING-EDGE MICROCT IMAGING AND MACHINE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY TO STUDY THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT WOODY PERENNIAL CROPS UNDER EXPERIMENTAL DROUGHT AND FIELD CONDITIONS. THIS WORK WILL ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CROP PLANT STRESS PHYSIOLOGY, AND HAS BROADER IMPLICATIONS FOR ENSURING THE HEALTH AND PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS IN A CHANGING WORLD.