River damming transforms allotropic natural rivers into autotrophic 'impound river' (referred to "reservoir"), which changes the processes of river biogenic substance cycle and the matter properties as well as export flux from land to ocean, thus becoming one of the key problems of element biogeochemical cycle. Due to the different behavior of biogenic substances (C, N, P, Si) in biological processes, biogenic substances cycle efficiency is different, in turns, Silicon (Si)>Organic Carbon (OC)>Phosphorus (P). The migration and transformation processes of C and Si are significantly affected by phytoplankton and water retention time. Nitrogen (N) and P are mainly affected by water pH, temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and retention time. The retention efficiency of biogenic substances is shown as N>C>P>Si at the global scale. Besides, the sedimentation and burial processes of reservoirs constitute the net sink of OC in rivers. River damming alters the stoichiometric characteristics of water elements, nutrient constraints, aquatic communities composition and the coupling effect of C/N/P/Si. The stable isotopic compositions of C, N and Si can effectively trace the source, migration and transformation of biogenic matter. A combination of elements stoichiometric characteristics and stable isotopic composition could effectively indicate the change of source materials in reservoirs. With the increasing demand for clean energy, the intensity of river damming and reservoir construction will increase. Thus, a series of scientific problems including changing law of biogenic substance migration and transformation dynamic, as well as accumulation effect of ecological environment in watershed systems by river cascade damming, should need to be concerned in the biogeochemistry cycle study.