【Objective】Vegetation restoration is one of the most effective approaches to improve the ecological environment of the dry-hot valley of the Jinsha River, Yunnan province. Exploring the changes in composition and structure of soil nematode communities under artificial and natural vegetation restoration can provide a theoretical basis for the reasonable management of the forest ecosystem in this region. 【Method】 In dry-hot valley of the Jinsha River, Leucaena leucocephala plantation and natural shrub-grass with Phyllanthus emblica and mixed Terminalia franchetii + Pistacia weinmannifolia were selected at low (1,150 – 1,200 m), middle (1,350 – 1,400 m) and, high (1,550 – 1,600 m) altitudes. The effects of the vegetation restoration approach under different altitudes on the functional structure of nematode communities were analyzed by using ecological indices, c-p life history, and nutritional structure indices. 【Result】 1) A total of 17 genera of bacterivores were captured, accounting for 37.3% of the total number, and omnivores-predators belonging to 21 genera, accounted for 53.2%. Also, Aporcelaimus, Acrobeles, and Microdorylaimus were the dominant genera. 2) Nematode trophic taxa were dominated by omnivores-predators and bacterivores, while plant-parasites and fungivores had relatively low proportions. However, the taxa were biased towards K-strategies. 3) The responses of nematode abundance, trophic taxa, and life history strategies to vegetation restoration varied across different altitudes. As the altitude increased, the diversity and stability of the nematode community under T. franchetii + P. weinmannifolia mixed shrub-grass increased gradually, while that under P. emblica shrub-grass showed the opposite trend. However, the L. leucocephala plantation showed the lowest "V" pattern with the middle altitude. Meanwhile, L. leucocephala plantation at the low altitude increased the metabolic footprints of bacterivores and omnivores-predators, implying that the food web was relatively complex and stable. 4) Soil nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, and moisture were the main driving factors of nematode community changes in artificial and natural vegetation restoration. 【Conclusion】 We recommend taking L. leucocephala as the main plantation at the low altitude area in the process of vegetation restoration and actively protect the pure and mixed natural shrub-grass at the middle and high altitudes to promote the ecological restoration of degraded soil in the dry-hot valley of the Jinsha River.