[This dataset is embargoed until November 10, 2025]. The following dataset contains information on saplings of woody plant species in invaded subtropical mountain forests (Yungas) over three years. The forests were located in the Horco Molle Experimental Reserve and Parque Sierra de San Javier, Tucumán, Argentina. The data was collected as part of an experiment to investigate the impact of management control on the invasion of non-native species such as Ligustrum lucidum, and other less abundant non-native species, on the dynamics of the woody community. The experiment was conducted between June 2020 and November 2023. This work was carried out as part of NERC grant NE/S011641/1 “Optimising the long-term management of invasive species affecting biodiversity and the rural economy using adaptive management”. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/4311fa93-fdcc-43bd-bb2e-185118c06ed7