Table 1 Biomass (mean ± SE) of Amorpha fruticosa and Robinia pseudoacacia seedlings harvested at days 1 (July 7), 3 (July 9), 14 (July 20), 30 (August 5), and 60 (September 4). Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among different defoliation treatments (p < 0.05) with Duncan’s test

Leaf

Day 1

3.56 ± 0.56^b

1.50 ± 0.24^a

3.00 ± 0.44^b

11.02 ± 0.54^b

6.20 ± 0.77^a

7.35 ± 1.49^a

Day 3

3.26 ± 0.73^ab

1.22 ± 0.40^a

2.01 ± 0.16^b

16.17 ± 0.93^c

5.63 ± 1.09^a

10.70 ± 0.24^b

Day 14

5.60 ± 0.76^b

2.28 ± 0.41^a

3.48 ± 0.52^a

10.43 ± 0.97^a

9.48 ± 0.69^a

12.11 ± 1.69^a

Day 30

11.57 ± 1.10^a

9.20 ± 2.23^a

14.45 ± 1.48^a

11.19 ± 1.55^a

15.81 ± 3.28^a

13.82 ± 2.15^a

Day 60

19.33 ± 1.35^ab

17.16 ± 1.13^a

21.17 ± 1.10^b

12.36 ± 0.88^a

17.33 ± 4.38^a

18.15 ± 2.60^a

Stem

Day 1

1.30 ± 0.27^a

1.77 ± 0.42^a

1.56 ± 0.24^a

5.75 ± 0.36^a

5.39 ± 0.28^a

7.12 ± 0.31^b

Day 3

1.05 ± 0.27^ab

0.47 ± 0.10^a

1.32 ± 0.19^b

7.83 ± 0.13^c

5.14 ± 0.32^b

6.91 ± 0.19^a

Day 14

2.80 ± 0.37^b

1.21 ± 0.25^a

1.78 ± 0.20^a

9.29 ± 0.74^a

8.48 ± 0.75^a

9.51 ± 1.18^a

Day 30

7.27 ± 0.96^ab

5.48 ± 1.09^a

9.25 ± 0.73^b

10.42 ± 1.93^a

14.62 ± 2.69^a

12.16 ± 1.77^a

Day 60

14.48 ± 1.64^a

14.43 ± 1.22^a

15.13 ± 1.32^a

13.40 ± 2.31 ^a

17.44 ± 3.26^a

22.47 ± 4.27^a

Root

Day 1

1.71 ± 0.33^a

2.14 ± 0.67^a

1.46 ± 0.18^a

3.29 ± 0.37^a

3.88 ± 0.33^a

6.97 ± 0.64^b

Day 3

1.06 ± 0.26^ab

0.76 ± 0.11^a

1.51 ± 0.27^b

8.13 ± 1.03^a

5.20 ± 0.95^a

6.43 ± 0.89^a

Day 14

3.39 ± 0.57^b

1.37 ± 0.14^a

2.02 ± 0.31^a

5.73 ± 0.33^a

5.11 ± 0.93^a

5.21 ± 0.44^a

Day 30

6.66 ± 1.03^a

4.41 ± 0.93^a

5.82 ± 0.76^a

7.11 ± 0.86^a

8.94 ± 0.51^a

8.16 ± 1.06^a

Day 60

19.83 ± 2.64^ab

14.54 ± 0.37^a

22.28 ± 1.56^b

8.90 ± 1.53^a

13.62 ± 4.03^ab

18.32 ± 1.98^b