Nutrient and seston transport dynamics along a series of tropical dams

The framework of nutrient dynamics investigation of four dams located in series along the Perak River centered around the Serial Discontinuity Concept (SDC) and the Cascading Reservoir Continuum Concept (CRCC). After an-18 month study, the integrated influences of discontinuity and cascading on nutrient and seston transport dynamics were operative in dynamic juxtaposition along the river’s continuum, and depended on distance between dams and presence and size of tributary streams. However, principal tributaries along the four serial dams in the Perak River appeared to have little spatial influence on their respective system’s nutrient and seston dynamics due to dilution effects of mainstem discharges. Effects of ecosystem fragmentation along the river’s continuum on in-situ, nutrients and seston transport dynamics existed, but not necessarily in line with the SDC nor in line with the CRCC. The dynamics of in-situ, nutrient, and seston were more associated with land use, reservoir surface area and dam discharge. Results from this study generated a hypothesis that submerged woody vegetation in the reservoirs may augment and compensate lost nutrients, thereby minimizing functional impacts of serially-arranged dams.