简介：TheimpactsofelevatedtemperatureandCO2onyoungsilverbirch(BetulapendulaRoth)saplingsafter0,25,50or75%artificialdefoliationwereassessedbymeasuringplantheightanddrymassofabovegroundcompartmentsandrootsandvariousmorphologicalandphysiologicalvariables.Defoliationeitherincreasedordecreasedplantgrowthdependingontheseverityofdamageandtheclimatictreatment.At21Cand400mgL-1CO2,defoliatedplantswerenotabletocompensateforthelostfoliage,butgrowthcompensationandadaptationtothechangedconditionsweregreater;growthofyoungdefoliatedsilverbirchsaplingsincreased,whichledtoincreasedheightandatendencytoenhancefinalabovegroundandrootbiomassandleafnitrogenandcarboncontentcomparedtothenondefoliatedcontrols.Nevertheless,theshort-termeffectofthedifferentclimaticconditionsdidnotresultinasignificantovergrowthofdefoliatedplants.AslightincreaseintemperatureandCO2werethemostacceptableconditionsfordefoliatedplants;however,a4CincreasewithcorrespondinglyhigherCO2wasmorestressfulasshownbylessgrowthinheightandbiomassallocationtoleaves,stemsandroots.Thefindingsfromthepilotexperimentaremoreapplicabletoyoungbirchtrees,butstressonyoungtreesmaybereflectedinfuturetreegrowth.