Nutrients in tropical and temperate rivers and floodplains – comparison of the Rivers Songkhram (Thailand) and Narew (Poland)

Abstract

Ecological processes in floodplains may function differently across climate regions. We compared the river discharge, water chemistry, and nutrient budget and balance of floodplain vegetation in a temperate climate (River Narew, Poland) with those in a tropical climate (River Songkhram, Thailand). Both rivers show a discharge regime with a flood pulse, following snowmelt (Narew) or monsoon rainfall (Songkhram), with peak discharges roughly 25 times higher in the River Songkhram. Electrical Conductivity (EC) values of both rivers are generally comparable, while nutrient concentrations are somewhat higher in the temperate River Narew (with total phosphorus (TP) approximately 1.5 and total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) approximately 2.2 times higher than in Songkhram). A comparison of the nutrient budget of floodplain vegetation suggests that soil is the most important source of nutrients for most vegetation types, i.e., Narew sedge (N), Narew forest floor (N and P), Songkhram bamboo (N and P), and Songkhram grass (P). Additionally, floodwater is the main input source of P for the Narew sedge and a secondary input source for Songkhram grass. Vegetation close to the river tends to have higher productivity, emphasizing the nutrient-filtering function of floodplain vegetation. For both rivers, nutrient input into the floodplains by floodwater is higher than nutrient export from the floodplains, indicating that both floodplains have a nutrient sink function. These findings demonstrate that the floodwater pulse is a source of nutrient input for floodplain vegetation in both temperate and tropical climates, with the soil playing a vital role in the nutrient budgets and balance.