Broussonetia papyrifera controls nutrient return to soil to facilitate its invasion in a tropical forest of Ghana

AimsNon-native invasive plants can alter soil chemistry through litter production and decomposition to facilitate their invasion. However, the important roles of these underlying processes in plant invasion remain poorly understood, particularly in tropical forest ecosystems. Here, we compared litter production, quality and decomposition of two invasive species (Broussonetia papyriferaandCedrela odorata) and two co-occurring native species (CeltismildbraediiandFuntumia elastica), and soil properties under them to elucidate their roles in the invasion of a tropical forest in Ghana.