Dams in the upper Mekong River modify nutrient bioavailability downstream

(Science China Press) Chen et al. shed new light on the effects of hydropower dams on nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning. The study on the cascade reservoirs along the upper Mekong River demonstrated that hydropower reservoirs increased downstream bioavailability of nitrogen and phosphorus, stimulated phytoplankton abundance and shifted the dominant species from diatoms in the silicon-rich upstream channel to green algae in downstream reservoirs.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news