Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> Invasive plant species are increasingly recognized for their capacity to alter ecosystem structure and function, yet their impact on above- and belowground carbon storage remains underexplored. This study investigated how Chinese privet ( <italic>Ligustrum sinense</italic> ), a widespread invasive shrub in the southeastern United States, may be influencing carbon storage in a secondary forest recovering from past agricultural use. We compared soil organic carbon (SOC) across three vegetation types (privet-invaded and uninvaded deciduous forest, and an adjacent managed pine stand) and tree biomass carbon at varying densities of Chinese privet within central Georgia, USA. SOC was assessed at three soil depths (0-5, 5-10, and 10-15 cm) while tree carbon was estimated using structural measurements and species-specific allometric equations. Results showed that SOC was lowest in the invaded site, despite having similar soil texture and bulk density to uninvaded site. The managed pine stand SOC was significantly lower than the uninvaded site, likely due to differences in litter inputs and disturbance history. Tree density and biomass carbon were significantly lower in privet-invaded areas compared to uninvaded sites. Overall, soil and tree carbon density were over 40% lower in the presence of Chinese privet. These findings show that Chinese privet is associated with lower SOC and suggest that Chinese privet may contribute to long-term reductions in both biomass and soil carbon pools by suppressing native woody regeneration and altering belowground processes. This emphasizes the importance of temperate forests on carbon sequestration efforts and shows the importance of invasive species management within disturbed landscapes. </p>