**2.1 Characterization of the study area**

Bahir Dar Zuria district is located within 290 27′ 34″, 350 58′ 40″ East of longitude and 130 38′ 19′, 120 1′ 37" North of latitude (**Figure 1**). It is about 578 km northwest of Addis Ababa. The district has 32 peasant associations and covers a total area of 128,360.48 ha. It is located in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. It is bounded by Lake Tana, Yilma and Dense Wereda in South, Metcha, and Achefer Wereda in the West and river Abay in the East.

The study area has four major soil types (**Figure 2**). Vertisols, Nitosol, Luvisols, and Cambisols. Vertisols cover 85,394.9 ha (67.7%); Cambisols cover 13,901.5 ha (11%); Nitosols cover 26,313.5 ha (20.8%); and Luvisols cover 496.5 ha (0.5%) of the total area [29]. The distribution of the Vertisols is observed mostly in the plain. Luvisols have a little share when it is compared with the other types of soil. The area around Lake Tana basin is dominated by three geological events: Quaternary Basalts, Oligocene to Miocene basalts, and Quaternary Alluvial and lacustrine deposits. Also, Basaltic lavas of the Aden volcanic series formed the plateau during the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era. Lake Tana is considered to have been created by the barrier of extended lava of this series.

**Figure 1.** *Map of the study area.*

The area lies within the central highland of Ethiopia. About 79% of the total area is found in the slope < 5% and 9.8% is found between 5 and 10%. The remaining area is found in the slope > 10% (**Figure 3**).

The area receives a mean annual rainfall of 1447 mm ranging from a maximum of 2036 mm to a minimum of 895 mm (Amhara region meteorological agency 2018). The study area receives maximum rainfall in summer (June–August). The districts experienced a warm temperature climate, with an average temperature of 21.3 o c. The highest temperature is recorded from February to March and the lowest temperature is observed in January and December (**Figure 4**).
