Effects and underlying mechanisms of damming on carbon and nitrogen cycles and transport in rivers of Southwest China: project introduction

Southwest China is the primary area for damming rivers to produce hydroelectric energy and store water. River damming has changed hydrodynamic, chemical, and biological processes, which are related to sinks and sources of greenhouse gases and carbon and nitrogen fluxes of different interfaces. Here, I provide an introduction to a river damming-related foundation, the National Key R&D Program of China (2016YTA0601000). Supported by the foundation, we carried out research on multi-processes/multi-interfaces of carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles in a dammed river system and have produced important results, as presented in this issue of the journal.