Background   and AimsMountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to global changes. Soil   biodiversity is critical for maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality, yet   the contribution of soil invertebrate diversity in supporting   multifunctionality in mountain ecosystems is poorly understood.MethodsHere,   we assessed the contribution of soil invertebrate diversity, including   alpha-diversity (i.e., species richness) and beta-diversity (i.e., community   composition), in explaining multiple ecosystem functions (e.g., water   regulation, soil carbon stocks, nutrient cycling, organic matter   decomposition, and pathogen control) along two independent elevation   gradients of the Tibetan Plateau and Shennongjia Mountain in China.ResultsOur   results showed that ecosystem multifunctionality gradually increased with   increasing elevation. Significant linear relationships were observed between   species richness and community composition of soil invertebrates and   multifunctionality along the elevation gradients, with species richness   explaining more variance in multifunctionality than community composition.   Furthermore, the positive associations between soil invertebrate richness and   ecosystem multifunctionality remained consistent and robust along the two   elevation gradients after considering climate and soil environmental   variables. Structural equation modeling further revealed that the   relationships between soil invertebrate diversity and ecosystem   multifunctionality were primarily linked to elevation-induced variations in   soil properties such as C/N ratio and pH.ConclusionOur work highlights that   the variation in soil invertebrate diversity along elevation gradients plays   a critical role in supporting the multifunctionality of mountain ecosystems.