INTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION HAS LED TO HIGH AMOUNTS OF CARBON LOSS FROM THE SOIL. HOWEVER, ALTERNATIVE MODELS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION THAT MANAGE FOR BIODIVERSITY OVER BOTH SPACE AND TIME, SUCH AS COFFEE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS, CAN SERVE TO INCREASE CARBON STORAGE IN THE SOIL THROUGH CHANGES IN THE SOIL MICROBIOME. YET, UNDERSTANDING OF CARBON FORMATION IN THE SOIL IN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS IS STILL LIMITED, AND RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT PLANT PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS ON SOIL BIOLOGY ARE THE LIMITING FACTOR OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION. ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI (AMF), SOIL BORN FUNGI THAT FORM ASSOCIATIONS WITH PLANT ROOTS, REDISTRIBUTE CARBON PRODUCED BY PLANTS INTO THE SOIL. THE CARBON FROM THE PLANTS IS THEN EITHER METABOLIZED BY SOIL BACTERIA, OR STORED AS CARBON IN THE SOIL. HOWEVER, THE EFFECTS OF CANOPY COVER IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS ON PLANT PHOTOSYNTHESIS, AMF, AND ASSOCIATED SOIL BIOGEOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS REMAIN UNDERSTUDIED. THIS PROJECT WILL EXAMINE HOW GRADIENTS OF SHADE IN COFFEE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS IN HAWAI'I CHANGE AMF COMMUNITIES AND ASSOCIATED SOIL BIODIVERSITY, AND IN TURN MICROBIAL PROCESSING OF ORGANIC MATTER AND SOIL CARBON USING FIELD OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES. THE STUDY ALSO INCLUDES A PAIRED GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENT TO EXAMINE THE FEEDBACK OF SOIL BIOLOGY TO PLANT HEALTH AND ASSOCIATED CARBON UNDER DIFFERENT SHADE TREATMENTS. THIS RESEARCH WILL EXPAND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND ASSOCIATED SOIL BIOLOGY IN CARBON STORAGE IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS, WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR CREATING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.