Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels and increasing nitrogen deposition resulting from human activities have the potential to alter leaf nutrient quality and consequently alter plant/herbivore interactions. Fargesia rufa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) is an important dietary bamboo for endangered giant pandas and is very vulnerable to climate change because it is one of the most widely distributed understory plants in subalpine coniferous forests in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China. Elevated CO₂ and nitrogen deposition will lead to change in the nutrient quality of F. rufa leaves, which could influence the growth and fecundity of giant pandas. Thus, understanding how elevated CO₂ and nitrogen deposition might change the nutritional quality and chemical defenses of F. rufa is an essential first step in predicting how giant pandas will respond to this component of climate change. However, there have been no studies on this aspect of F. rufa biology. The objects of this study were to (1) determine the effects of elevated CO₂ on the nutritive quality of F. rufa; (2) examine the effects of nitrogen on the quality of F. rufa; and (3) determine whether nitrogen alters the effects of elevated CO₂ on the foliar quality of bamboo. For this purpose, 30 seedlings were grown in each of six environmentally-controlled chambers for one growing season under the following conditions: control (CON; ambient CO₂ concentration and N level), elevated CO₂ (EC; ambient CO₂ concentration + 350 μmol/mol, ambient N), extra N (EN; 5 g N m^-2 a^-1, ambient CO₂ concentration), and a combined treatment with both elevated CO₂ and extra N (ECN; ambient CO₂ concentration + 350 μmol/mol, 5 g N m^-2 a^-1). Leaves were analyzed for concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), soluble sugars, fructose, sucrose, lignin, cellulose, and C-based defensive compounds (tannins). Compared with CON, the EC treatment did not affect C concentration in leaves but led to a decline in N, P, and C∶N ratio, as well as lower cellulose and lignin levels in leaves. Also, EC induced an increase in the contents of soluble sugars, fructose, sucrose, soluble protein, and tannin. On the other hand, the addition of N tended to reduce C, C∶N ratio, starch, and cellulose contents in leaves. Leaf N, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and lignin contents were lower in treatments to which N was added than in treatments without additional N. Tannin and P in leaves tended not to change with the addition of N. The combined effects of elevated CO₂ and N on C, tannin, soluble sugars, and starch contents were significant. Although negative effects of elevated CO₂ on leaf nutrient quality in F. rufa were observed, the interaction of elevated CO₂ and N appeared to be sufficient to actually improve leaf nutrient quality, indicating that climate change will likely impact not only the biochemical processes of F. rufa leaves but also the plant-giant panda interaction.