Discussion
Our results show that invasive plant species can cause significant shifts in the taxonomic composition and relative abundance of microbial communities across multiple sites along the altitudinal gradient. Also, the plant invasions can induce shifts in soil nutrient pools in the invaded plots and these shifts vary among the sites along the altitudinal gradient. Therefore, the present study provides new insights in elucidating the patterns of plant invasion-induced responses in soil microbial communities that operate underground along altitudinal gradient in mountainous landscapes.