** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FIRES HAVE CONSIDERABLE IMPACTS ON THE MORTALITY AND POST-FIRE GROWTH OF MANY IMPORTANT TIMBERSPECIES. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISTIC CAUSES OF TREE DEATH REMAINS UNCERTAIN AND LIMITED STUDIESHAVE FOCUSED ON HOW THE TIMING OF GROWTH/DORMANCY SEASON WITH FIRE SEASONALITY IMPACTS OAKSURVIVAL AND POST-FIRE GROWTH FOLLOWING FIRES. WE ADDRESS THESE KNOWLEDGE GAPS THROUGH FOURCENTRAL HYPOTHESES. THE FIRST SEEKS TO ASSESS HOW FIRE INTENSITY IMPACTS THE PROBABILITY OF OAK TOPKILLAND MORTALITY. THE SECOND AND THIRD ASSESS HOW SEASONALITY OF FIRES AND GROWTH/DORMANCYIMPACTS THOSE RESPONSES. THE FOURTH ASSESSES WHETHER FIRE INDUCED MORTALITY IS DUE TO XYLEM- ORPHLOEM-BASED MECHANISMS. THE PROJECT HAS FOUR SUPPORTING OBJECTIVES: 1) DETERMINE THE FIREINTENSITY 'DOSE' TO MORTALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY 'RESPONSES' FOR THE DIFFERENT OAK SPECIES, 2)DETERMINE HOW THE RELATIONSHIPS IN (1) CHANGE BY BURNING OAKS AT DIFFERENT DATES ASSOCIATED WITHINTERACTING FIRE SEASON AND DORMANCY/GROWTH SEASON, 3) ASSESS MECHANISMS OF FIRE-INDUCEDMORTALITY IN SAPLINGS OF SELECTED OAK SPECIES, AND 4) SHARE DATA AND RESULTS WITH FORESTPRODUCTIVITY AND FIRE EFFECTS MODELING TEAMS. THIS PROJECT IS DIRECTLY ALIGNED WITH THE GOALS OFTHE PROGRAM AS IT ASSESSES SAPLING GROWTH, CARBON ASSIMILATION, MECHANISMS OF SAPLING RESPONSETO STRESS FROM FIRE, AS WELL AS HOW THESE RESPONSES ARE IMPACTED BY THE INTERACTIONS OF FIRE ANDGROWING/DORMANCY SEASONS.