** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SICHUAN PEPPERS (FRUITS OF ASIAN ZANTHOXYLUM SPECIES) ARE A MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR INTERNATIONAL SPICE COMMODITY, WITH THE LARGEST IMPORTER BEING THE UNITED STATES (U.S.). THEREFORE, IT WOULD BENEFIT THE U.S. TO DEVELOP DOMESTIC SOURCES OF THIS SPICE. THE ASIAN ZANTHOXYLUM SPECIES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE INVASIVE IN THE U.S. (WHERE THERE ARE AT LEAST EIGHT INDIGENOUS SPECIES OF ZANTHOXYLUM). I HYPOTHESIZE THAT SUITABLE INDIGENOUS SPECIES CAN BE FOUND TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF U.S. CONSUMERS. ZANTHOXYLUM SPECIES OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS WILL BE SURVEYED, COLLECTED, AND HABITATS DOCUMENTED. SENSORY (TASTE) ANALYSES WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE SIMILARITY OF FLAVOR COMPOUNDS TO THOSE OF IMPORTED ASIAN SICHUAN PEPPERS. METABOLOMIC ANALYSES WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY AS MANY COMPOUNDS AS POSSIBLE FROM ZANTHOXYLUM FRUITS. THIS GENUS FITS THE CURRENT USDA AGROFORESTRY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIVE FOREST RIPARIAN BUFFERS AND ALLEY CROPPING AND WILL BE PROMOTED AS SUCH (PAMPHLETS AND DIGITAL CONTENT). FURTHERMORE, SEVERAL CARIBBEAN ZANTHOXYLUM SPECIES ARE RARE AND ENDANGERED, AND CUTTINGS OF THESE WILL BE TAKEN, GROWN, AND RE-PLANTED TO SAVE THESE VULNERABLE TREES FROM EXTINCTION. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS PROJECT COULD START TO RE-DIRECT THE 300 MILLION DOLLARS SPENT ANNUALLY ON SICHUAN PEPPERS IN THE U.S. TOWARDS AMERICAN FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME CONSERVING NATIVE SPECIES AND PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION THROUGH AGROFORESTRY. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO HELP THE PD DEVELOP INTO A LEADER IN AGROFORESTRY, CONSERVATION, AND PLANT/FOOD SCIENCE AND ACHIEVE HIS GOAL OF BECOMING A PROFESSOR.