Skip to main content
Dryad

Data from: The effects of land use on downstream water quality and biodiversity in a changing tropical mosaic landscape

Hirko, Obsu1; Hylander, Samuel2; Tack, Ayco J. M.1; Nemomissa, Sileshi3; Ghajarnia, Navid4; Mayamey, Farzad Vahidi5; Tadesse, Diriba6; Senbeta, Feyera7; Hylander, Kristoffer1

Published Jan 20, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.69p8cz9h4

Data files

Jan 20, 2026 version files 17.23 KB

Click names to download individual files

Abstract

Land use and other human activities often degrade downstream water quality, with consequences for ecosystem services and freshwater biodiversity. Understanding the relative effects of different land-use types across large spatial scales, however, remains challenging in heterogeneous landscapes. We investigated how landscape composition influences stream water quality and aquatic biodiversity in 46 catchments with perennial streams draining mosaic landscapes managed by smallholder farmers in southwest Ethiopia. Specifically, we assessed whether coffee agroforestry landscapes have intermediate effects on stream biodiversity compared to forests and agricultural lands. We measured multiple water quality parameters and sampled stream macroinvertebrates, while quantifying land-use proportions, settlement density, and an index representing the number and proximity of coffee washing stations within each catchment. Streams draining forest-dominated landscapes exhibited better water quality, characterized by higher dissolved oxygen and lower turbidity and nutrient concentrations, than those draining agroforestry- or agriculture-dominated landscapes. Elevated concentrations of Escherichia coli were detected in most streams, particularly in agroforestry landscapes. Macroinvertebrate community composition varied widely, with pollution-sensitive taxa dominating cleaner streams and tolerant taxa prevailing in more degraded systems. These patterns were more pronounced when considering the direct effects of settlement density and coffee washing stations, although some taxonomic groups showed inconsistent responses. Our results indicate that water chemistry alone does not fully capture land-use impacts on stream condition, underscoring the importance of incorporating biodiversity assessments. Given the reliance of local communities on these streams and the risks to freshwater biodiversity, our findings highlight the urgent need for mitigation measures, particularly in agriculture- and agroforestry-dominated landscapes, with a focus on reducing waste inputs from settlements and wet coffee washing stations.