A Rapid Field Screening Methodology for Assessing the Health of Highland Streams and Rivers in Ethiopia

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Aschalew Lakew
Otto Moog

Abstract

The present study describes the development of a macro- invertebrate-based rapid field screeningmethod for assessing the ecological status of streams and  rivers in Ethiopian highlands.Abiotic and  biotic data  were  collected from 104 sites distributed in the upper section of four major basins of Ethiopia, namely Awash, Rift-Valley, Wabi-Shebele and  Genale. The  method  was adapted based on the screening protocol developed for assessing highland streams in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayan  regions  which  was initially designed and  a prerequisite to assess Austrian highland streams. The  assessment procedure was based  on  sensory features,  reduction  phenomena and  biota that  can  be  identified in the  field, with a  special focus on benthic macro-invertebrates. The sensitivity of a specific benthic invertebrate (BMI) taxon  to different level of degradation was derived from a multi-metric indexdeveloped for assessing same highland streamsof Ethiopia.  To ensure simplicity of the protocol, only 20 BMI taxa with clear ecological quality preference were included. The sensitivity ranges from  less tolerant taxa  such as Perlidae,  Scirtidae and  Lepidostomatidae to tolerant taxa  such as Psychodidae, Chironomidae and  Syrphidae.  The protocol is manually calculated in the  field and  it serves as an  ‘early warning’ method  to identify areas that  require  urgent   attention  or  detailed  investigation.  The  method can   be   considered  as rapid,  inexpensive  but  scientifically  sound monitoring method   to  evaluate the  ecological conditions of runningwaters in the highlands of Ethiopia.

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Lakew, A., & Moog, O. (2023). A Rapid Field Screening Methodology for Assessing the Health of Highland Streams and Rivers in Ethiopia. Ecological Insights, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.59411/n6w8x361
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Lakew, A., & Moog, O. (2023). A Rapid Field Screening Methodology for Assessing the Health of Highland Streams and Rivers in Ethiopia. Ecological Insights, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.59411/n6w8x361

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References

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