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Description: Studies of plant responses under static thermal systems during only one developmental stage, e.g. warmed versus ambient conditions at reproductive maturity, may provide an overly simplistic view into how plant acclimation processes operate under climate change. We studied acclimation of southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis) to elevated temperatures by asking whether the seedling morphology and physiology respond differently to controlled warming imposed in tree canopies during embryogenesis versus in growth chambers during early seedling growth. Warming during both stages reduced plant survival, but effects of an interaction between warming during embryogenesis and early growth suggest that heat during seed development may improve survival under subsequent growth under warm conditions. Measures of water relations and oxidative stress (experimentally validated against an herbicide that imposes oxidative stress) suggest that elevated temperatures during early seedling growth reduced the efficacy of water use regulation but improved plant oxidative stress resistance. This work promotes a more integrated view of plant acclimation processes and highlights novel considerations of how forest regeneration may be impacted by climate change.