Table 3 Physicochemical and environmental (habitat) characteristics of the streams Gereb Tsedo, Elala, and the common downstream of the two streams, Mariam Dahan. Physicochemical and environmental characteristics were taken from 13 study sites; each site with three habitats (39 microhabitats × 3 seasons) of the streams and the average value and standard deviation (SD) is presented

Altitude (m)

2071.6 ± 31.1

2011.5 ± 8.01

2062.6 ± 29.1

Water depth (cm)

39.0 ± 30.4

44.3 ± 34.47

40.1 ± 29.7

River bed width (m)

2.7 ± 1.6

3.5 ± 2.0

4.1 ± 3.0

Water transparency (Snell, cm)

20.8 ± 10.2

19.73 ± 9.73

19.5 ± 10.3

pH

7.4 ± 0.4

7.72 ± 0.28

7.5 ± 0.4

Conductivity (μS/cm)

142.6 ± 17.4

115.1 ± 22.8

106.3 ± 4.1

Chlorophyll a (μg/l)

57.3 ± 20.8

73.3 ± 26.2

62.2 ± 21.04

Oxygen (mg/L)

5.4 ± 1.9

7.1 ± 2.2

5.3 ± 1.74

Temperature (°C)

20.8 ± 1.7

21.5 + 3.5

21.3 ± 2.6

Water flow velocity(m/s)

0.2 ± 0.1

0.127 ± 0.11

48.4 ± 34.0

% macrophyte coverage

14.76 ± 16.17

18.36 ± 23.43

13.3 ± 8.1

% riparian coverage

58.7 ± 29.0

33.4 + 31.5

48.4 ± 34.0