Impact of nitrogen availability and soil communities on biomass accumulation of an invasive species

Exotic plant species impact belowground processes by influencing resource availability through enhanced microbial activity as a consequence of litter inputs. Soil communities cultured by Ageratina adenophora , a neotropical invader in Asia, retain available N that influence the growth of the invader. Invader triggers higher microbial activities through terpene-rich litter inputs to release nitrogen, which facilitates the invasion of A. adenophora . Our results provide evidence that microbial-linked nitrogen availability exert positive impact on A. adenophora biomass accumulation. Our work emphasizes the importance of soil communities-drive nitrogen availability in invasion success.