Dr. Clemens Scheer

Head of Research Group 'Landscape Fluxes'

Head of Research Topic 'Environmental Smart Agriculture'

Dr. Clemens Scheer is a laureate fellow for the Franco-German Program on Climate, Energy and Earth System Research under the BMBF funded Initiative "Make our Planet great again". His research in the field of environmental and agricultural science investigates the relationships between food production, fertilizer use and climate change. His current project is focusing on the application of biogeochemical models to improve greenhouse gas inventories from agricultural soils and develop region specific climate-smart management strategies for a sustainable management of global agricultural ecosystems.

Research Interests:

Reactive nitrogen requirements for global food security
Soil microbial carbon and nitrogen turnover and trace gas exchange in the soil, plant atmosphere system
Balance and magnitude of reactive and non-reactive nitrogen losses from agro-ecosystems
Process oriented modelling of carbon/ nitrogen turnover in terrestrial ecosystems
Stable Isotopes in Environmental Sciences

Projects involved in:

MOPGA-N_r: Make our planet great again - reactive Nitrogen

Curriculum Vitae:

2019- Leader of research theme “Environmental Smart Agriculture” at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT/IMK-IFU).
2019- Adjunct Associate Professor, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.
2019- Laureate fellow for the Franco-German Program on Climate, Energy and Earth System Research under the BMBF funded Initiative "Make our Planet great again".
2013-2019 Senior Researcher at the Institute for Future Environments (IFE) and Senior Lecturer at QUT, Australia.
2009-2012 Postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Resources. QUT, Australia.
2008 Ph.D. (Agricultural science) University of Bonn, Germany. Title “Biosphere-Atmosphere-Exchange of C and N Trace Gases and Microbial N Turnover Processes in Irrigated Agricultural Systems of the Aral Sea Basin, Uzbekistan”
2005-2006 Researcher at the ZEF / UNESCO Project in Uzbekistan: “Economic and Ecological Restructuring of Land and Water Use in the Region Khorezm”.
2003-2004 Environmental Consulting and Engineering services, GEOMECHNIG, Munich, Germany
1996-2002 Study of Geo-ecology (Geoökologie) at Univ. of Bayreuth with focus on Atmospheric Chemistry and Hydrology.

Link to Google scholar:

Clemens Scheer @ Google scholar

Email: clemens.scheer@kit.edu
Telephone: +49 8821 183 245

List of publications @ KIT IMK-IFU

Fuchs, K.; Kraus, D.; Houska, T.; Kermah, M.; Haas, E.; Kiese, R.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Scheer, C.
Intercropping Legumes Improves Long Term Productivity and Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Sub‐Saharan Africa
2024. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 38 (10), e2024GB008159. doi:10.1029/2024GB008159

Rahimi, J.; Haas, E.; Scheer, C.; Grados, D.; Abalos, D.; Aderele, M. O.; Blicher-Mathiesen, G.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.
Aggregation of activity data on crop management can induce large uncertainties in estimates of regional nitrogen budgets
2024. npj Sustainable Agriculture, 2 (1), Art.-Nr.: 7. doi:10.1038/s44264-024-00015-3

Takeda, N.; Friedl, J.; Rowlings, D.; Haas, E.; Kraus, D.; Grace, P.; Scheer, C.
In-situ N

O and N

data improved N budget simulation with APSIM and LandscapeDNDC in tropical sugarcane systems
2024. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 375, 109193. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2024.109193

Dannenmann, M.; Yankelzon, I.; Wähling, S.; Ramm, E.; Schreiber, M.; Ostler, U.; Schlingmann, M.; Stange, C. F.; Kiese, R.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Friedl, J.; Scheer, C.
Fates of slurry-nitrogen applied to mountain grasslands: the importance of dinitrogen emissions versus plant N uptake
2024. Biology and Fertility of Soils. doi:10.1007/s00374-024-01826-9

Gios, E.; Verbruggen, E.; Audet, J.; Burns, R.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Espenberg, M.; Fritz, C.; Glatzel, S.; Jurasinski, G.; Larmola, T.; Mander, Ü.; Nielsen, C.; Rodriguez, A. F.; Scheer, C.; Zak, D.; Silvennoinen, H. M.
Unraveling microbial processes involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in rewetted peatlands by molecular biology
2024. Biogeochemistry, 167, 609–629. doi:10.1007/s10533-024-01122-6

Yankelzon, I.; Willibald, G.; Dannenmann, M.; Malique, F.; Ostler, U.; Scheer, C.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.
A new incubation system to simultaneously measure N

as well as N

O and CO

fluxes from plant-soil mesocosms
2024. Biology and Fertility of Soils. doi:10.1007/s00374-024-01809-w

Yankelzon, I.; Schilling, L.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Gasche, R.; Han, J.; Hartl, L.; Kepp, J.; Matson, A.; Ostler, U.; Scheer, C.; Schneider, K.; Tenspolde, A.; Well, R.; Wolf, B.; Wrage-Moennig, N.; Dannenmann, M.
Lysimeter-based full fertilizer 15N balances corroborate direct dinitrogen emission measurements using the 15N gas flow method
2024. Biology and Fertility of Soils. doi:10.1007/s00374-024-01801-4

Grace, P.; Rosa, D. De; Shcherbak, I.; Strazzabosco, A.; Rowlings, D.; Scheer, C.; Barton, L.; Wang, W.; Schwenke, G.; Armstrong, R.; Porter, I.; Bell, M.
Revised emission factors for estimating direct nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen inputs in Australia’s agricultural production systems: a meta-analysis
2023. Soil Research, 62, Article no: 23070. doi:10.1071/SR23070

Grosz, B.; Matson, A.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Clough, T.; Davidson, E. A.; Dechow, R.; DelGrosso, S.; Diamantopoulos, E.; Dörsch, P.; Haas, E.; He, H.; Henri, C. V.; Hui, D.; Kleineidam, K.; Kraus, D.; Kuhnert, M.; Léonard, J.; Müller, C.; Petersen, S. O.; Sihi, D.; Vogeler, I.; Well, R.; Yeluripati, J.; Zhang, J.; Scheer, C.
Modeling Denitrification: Can We Report What We Don't Know?
2023. AGU Advances, 4 (6), e2023AV000990. doi:10.1029/2023AV000990

Olesen, J. E.; Rees, R. M.; Recous, S.; Bleken, M. A.; Abalos, D.; Ahuja, I.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Carozzi, M.; De Notaris, C.; Ernfors, M.; Haas, E.; Hansen, S.; Janz, B.; Lashermes, G.; Massad, R. S.; Petersen, S. O.; Rittl, T. F.; Scheer, C.; Smith, K. E.; Thiébeau, P.; Taghizadeh-Toosi, A.; Thorman, R. E.; Topp, C. F. E.
Challenges of accounting nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural crop residues
2023. Global Change Biology, 29 (24), 6846–6855. doi:10.1111/gcb.16962

Smerald, A.; Kraus, D.; Rahimi, J.; Fuchs, K.; Kiese, R.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Scheer, C.
A redistribution of nitrogen fertiliser across global croplands can help achieve food security within environmental boundaries
2023. Communications Earth & Environment, 4 (1), Art.-Nr.: 315. doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00970-8

Smerald, A.; Rahimi, J.; Scheer, C.
A global dataset for the production and usage of cereal residues in the period 1997–2021
2023. Scientific Data, 10 (1), Art.-Nr.: 685. doi:10.1038/s41597-023-02587-0

Takeda, N.; Friedl, J.; Kirkby, R.; Rowlings, D.; Scheer, C.; Rosa, D. De; Grace, P.
Denitrification Losses in Response to N Fertilizer Rates—Integrating High Temporal Resolution N

O, In Situ

O and

Measurements and Fertilizer

N Recoveries in Intensive Sugarcane Systems
2023. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 128 (9), Art.: e2023JG007391. doi:10.1029/2023JG007391

Rahimi, J.; Ago, E. E.; Ayantunde, A.; Bogaert, J.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Cappelaere, B.; Demarty, J.; Diouf, A. A.; Falk, U.; Haas, E.; Hiernaux, P.; Kraus, D.; Roupsard, O.; Scheer, C.; Srivastava, A. K.; Tagesson, T.; Grote, R.
Modelling Gas Exchange and Biomass Production in West African Sahelian and Sudanian Ecological Zones
2021. doi:10.35097/437

Smerald, A.; Rahimi, J.; Scheer, C.
Dataset: Global crop residue management dataset (1997 - 2021)
2023, September 18. doi:10.35097/989

Yu, L.; Zhang, Q.; Tian, Y.; Sun, W.; Scheer, C.; Li, T.; Zhang, W.
Global variations and drivers of nitrous oxide emissions from forests and grasslands
2022. Frontiers in Soil Science, 2, Art.-Nr.: 1094177. doi:10.3389/fsoil.2022.1094177

Scheer, C.; Rütting, T.
Use of

N tracers to study nitrogen flows in agro-ecosystems: transformation, losses and plant uptake
2023. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 125 (2), 89–93. doi:10.1007/s10705-023-10269-x

Smerald, A.; Fuchs, K.; Kraus, D.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Scheer, C.
Significant Global Yield-Gap Closing Is Possible Without Increasing the Intensity of Environmentally Harmful Nitrogen Losses
2022. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, Art.-Nr.: 736394. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2022.736394

Friedl, J.; Warner, D.; Wang, W.; Rowlings, D. W.; Grace, P. R.; Scheer, C.
Strategies for mitigating N2O and N2 emissions from an intensive sugarcane cropping system
2023. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 125 (2), 295–308. doi:10.1007/s10705-023-10262-4

Rousset, C.; Clough, T. J.; Grace, P. R.; Rowlings, D. W.; Scheer, C.
Wetting and drainage cycles in two New Zealand soil types: Effects on relative gas diffusivity and N

O emissions
2022. Geoderma Regional, 29, e00504. doi:10.1016/j.geodrs.2022.e00504

Friedl, J.; Deltedesco, E.; Keiblinger, K. M.; Gorfer, M.; Rosa, D. De; Scheer, C.; Grace, P. R.; Rowlings, D. W.
Amplitude and frequency of wetting and drying cycles drive N

and N

O emissions from a subtropical pasture
2022. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 58 (5), 593–605. doi:10.1007/s00374-022-01646-9

Haas, E.; Carozzi, M.; Massad, R. S.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Scheer, C.
Long term impact of residue management on soil organic carbon stocks and nitrous oxide emissions from European croplands
2022. Science of The Total Environment, 836, Art.Nr. 154932. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154932

Takeda, N.; Friedl, J.; Kirkby, R.; Rowlings, D.; De Rosa, D.; Scheer, C.; Grace, P.
Interaction between soil and fertiliser nitrogen drives plant nitrogen uptake and nitrous oxide (N

O) emissions in tropical sugarcane systems
2022. Plant and Soil, 477, 647–663. doi:10.1007/s11104-022-05458-6

Wallace, A. J.; Armstrong, R. D.; Grace, P. R.; Scheer, C.
Nitrogen use efficiency and N

O emissions vary according to seasonal water supply across different cereal production systems of south eastern Australia
2022. Geoderma Regional, 29, Art.-Nr.: e00498. doi:10.1016/j.geodrs.2022.e00498

Scheer, C.; Rowlings, D. W.; Antille, D. L.; De Antoni Migliorati, M.; Fuchs, K.; Grace, P. R.
Improving nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated cotton production
2022. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 125 (2), 95–106. doi:10.1007/s10705-022-10204-6

Muller, J.; Rosa, D. De; Friedl, J.; De Antoni Migliorati, M.; Rowlings, D.; Grace, P.; Scheer, C.
Combining nitrification inhibitors with a reduced N rate maintains yield and reduces N

O emissions in sweet corn
2022. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 125 (2), 107–121. doi:10.1007/s10705-021-10185-y

Mitchell, E.; Scheer, C.; Rowlings, D.; Cotrufo, M. F.; Conant, R. T.; Friedl, J.; Grace, P.
Trade-off between ‘new’ SOC stabilisation from above-ground inputs and priming of native C as determined by soil type and residue placement
2020. Biogeochemistry, 149 (2), 221–236. doi:10.1007/s10533-020-00675-6

Rousset, C.; Clough, T. J.; Grace, P. R.; Rowlings, D. W.; Scheer, C.
Soil type, bulk density and drainage effects on relative gas diffusivity and N2O emissions
2020. Soil research, 58 (8), 726. doi:10.1071/SR20161

Nguyen, D. H.; Grace, P. R.; Rowlings, D. W.; Biala, J.; Scheer, C.
The fate of urea ¹⁵N in a subtropical rain-fed maize system: influence of organic amendments
2022. Soil research, 60 (3), 252–261. doi:10.1071/SR21101

Mitchell, E.; Scheer, C.; Rowlings, D.; Cotrufo, F.; Conant, R. T.; Grace, P.
Important constraints on soil organic carbon formation efficiency in subtropical and tropical grasslands
2021. Global change biology, 27 (20), 5383–5391. doi:10.1111/gcb.15807

Jägermeyr, J.; Müller, C.; Ruane, A. C.; Elliott, J.; Balkovic, J.; Castillo, O.; Faye, B.; Foster, I.; Folberth, C.; Franke, J. A.; Fuchs, K.; Guarin, J. R.; Heinke, J.; Hoogenboom, G.; Iizumi, T.; Jain, A. K.; Kelly, D.; Khabarov, N.; Lange, S.; Lin, T.-S.; Liu, W.; Mialyk, O.; Minoli, S.; Moyer, E. J.; Okada, M.; Phillips, M.; Porter, C.; Rabin, S. S.; Scheer, C.; Schneider, J. M.; Schyns, J. F.; Skalsky, R.; Smerald, A.; Stella, T.; Stephens, H.; Webber, H.; Zabel, F.; Rosenzweig, C.
Climate impacts on global agriculture emerge earlier in new generation of climate and crop models
2021. Nature Food, 2, 873–885. doi:10.1038/s43016-021-00400-y

Takeda, N.; Friedl, J.; Rowlings, D.; Rosa, D. De; Scheer, C.; Grace, P.
No sugar yield gains but larger fertiliser

N loss with increasing N rates in an intensive sugarcane system
2021. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 121, 99–113. doi:10.1007/s10705-021-10167-0

Rosa, D. De; Biala, J.; Nguyen, T. H.; Mitchell, E.; Friedl, J.; Scheer, C.; Grace, P. R.; Rowlings, D. W.
Environmental and economic trade‐offs of using composted or stockpiled manure as partial substitute for synthetic fertilizer
2022. Journal of environmental quality, 51 (4), 589–601. doi:10.1002/jeq2.20255

Rahimi, J.; Ago, E. E.; Ayantunde, A.; Berger, S.; Bogaert, J.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Cappelaere, B.; Cohard, J.-M.; Demarty, J.; Diouf, A. A.; Falk, U.; Haas, E.; Hiernaux, P.; Kraus, D.; Roupsard, O.; Scheer, C.; Srivastava, A. K.; Tagesson, T.; Grote, R.
Modeling gas exchange and biomass production in West African Sahelian and Sudanian ecological zones
2021. Geoscientific model development, 14 (6), 3789–3812. doi:10.5194/gmd-14-3789-2021

Friedl, J.; Scheer, C.; Rosa, D. De; Müller, C.; Grace, P. R.; Rowlings, D. W.
Sources of nitrous oxide from intensively managed pasture soils: The hole in the pipe
2021. Environmental Research Letters, 16 (6), 065004. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/abfde7

Grace, P. R.; Weerden, T. J. van der; Rowlings, D. W.; Scheer, C.; Brunk, C.; Kiese, R.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Rees, R. M.; Robertson, G. P.; Skiba, U. M.
Global Research Alliance N₂O chamber methodology guidelines: Considerations for automated flux measurement
2020. Journal of environmental quality, 49 (5), 1126–1140. doi:10.1002/jeq2.20124

Manca, F.; Rosa, D. De; Reading, L. P.; Rowlings, D. W.; Scheer, C.; Schipper, L. A.; Grace, P. R.
Effect of soil cap and nitrate inflow on nitrous oxide emissions from woodchip bioreactors
2021. Ecological Engineering, 166, Art.-Nr.: 106235. doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106235

Takeda, N.; Friedl, J.; Rowlings, D.; Rosa, D. De; Scheer, C.; Grace, P.
Exponential response of nitrous oxide (N

O) emissions to increasing nitrogen fertiliser rates in a tropical sugarcane cropping system
2021. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 313, Art.-Nr.: 107376. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2021.107376

Pandeya, H. R.; Friedl, J.; Rosa, D. De; Asis, C. T.; Tilbrook, J.; Scheer, C.; Bristow, M.; Grace, P. R.; Rowlings, D. W.
Combined effect of nitrogen fertiliser and leaf litter carbon drive nitrous oxide emissions in tropical soils
2020. Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, 118 (2), 207–222. doi:10.1007/s10705-020-10094-6

Scheer, C.; Pelster, D. E.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.
Editorial Overview: Climate change, reactive nitrogen, food security and sustainable agriculture - the case of N

O
2020. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 47, A1–A4. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.11.001

Scheer, C.; Fuchs, K.; Pelster, D. E.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.
Estimating global terrestrial denitrification from measured N

O:(N

O + N

) product ratios
2020. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 47, 72–80. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.07.005

Friedl, J.; Cardenas, L. M.; Clough, T. J.; Dannenmann, M.; Hu, C.; Scheer, C.
Measuring denitrification and the N

O:(N

O + N

) emission ratio from terrestrial soils
2020. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 47, 61–71. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.08.006

Friedl, J.; Scheer, C.; Rowlings, D. W.; Deltedesco, E.; Gorfer, M.; Rosa, D. De; Grace, P. R.; Müller, C.; Keiblinger, K. M.
Effect of the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) on N-turnover, the N

O reductase-gene nosZ and N

O:N

partitioning from agricultural soils
2020. Scientific reports, 10 (1), 2399. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-59249-z

Kanter, D. R.; Del Grosso, S.; Scheer, C.; Pelster, D. E.; Galloway, J. N.
Why future nitrogen research needs the social sciences
2020. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 47, 54–60. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.07.002

Manca, F.; Rosa, D. De; Reading, L. P.; Rowlings, D. W.; Scheer, C.; Layden, I.; Irvine-Brown, S.; Schipper, L. A.; Grace, P. R.
Nitrate removal and greenhouse gas production of woodchip denitrification walls under a humid subtropical climate
2020. Ecological engineering, 156, Art.-Nr. 105988. doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2020.105988

Rosa, D. De; Rowlings, D. W.; Fulkerson, B.; Scheer, C.; Friedl, J.; Labadz, M.; Grace, P. R.
Field-scale management and environmental drivers of N2O emissions from pasture-based dairy systems
2020. Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, 117 (3), 299–315. doi:10.1007/s10705-020-10069-7

Ogle, S. M.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Cardenas, L.; Skiba, U.; Scheer, C.
From research to policy: optimizing the design of a national monitoring system to mitigate soil nitrous oxide emissions
2020. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 47, 28–36. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.06.003

Dorich, C. D.; Conant, R. T.; Albanito, F.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Grace, P.; Scheer, C.; Snow, V. O.; Vogeler, I.; Weerden, T. J. van der
Improving N₂O emission estimates with the global N₂O database
2020. Current opinion in environmental sustainability, 47, 13–20. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.04.006

Liyanage, A.; Grace, P. R.; Scheer, C.; Rosa, D. de; Ranwala, S.; Rowlings, D. W.
Carbon limits non-linear response of nitrous oxide (N2O) to increasing N inputs in a highly-weathered tropical soil in Sri Lanka
2020. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 292, Article No.106808. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2019.106808

Wallace, A. J.; Armstrong, R. D.; Grace, P. R.; Scheer, C.; Partington, D. L.
Nitrogen use efficiency of ¹⁵N urea applied to wheat based on fertiliser timing and use of inhibitors
2020. Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, 116, 41–56. doi:10.1007/s10705-019-10028-x

Warner, D. I.; Scheer, C.; Friedl, J.; Rowlings, D. W.; Brunk, C.; Grace, P. R.
Mobile continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometer system for automated measurements of N₂ and N₂O fluxes in fertilized cropping systems
2019. Scientific reports, 9 (1), Article no: 11097. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-47451-7

Scheer, C.; Meier, R.; Brüggemann, N.; Grace, P. R.; Dannenmann, M.
An improved 15N tracer approach to study denitrification and nitrogen turnover in soil incubations
2016. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry, 30 (18), 2017–2026. doi:10.1002/rcm.7689

Barton, L.; Wolf, B.; Rowlings, D.; Scheer, C.; Kiese, R.; Grace, P.; Stefanova, K.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.
Sampling frequency affects estimates of annual nitrous oxide fluxes
2015. Scientific reports, 5, 15912. doi:10.1038/srep15912

Rowlings, D. W.; Grace, P. R.; Scheer, C.; Kiese, R.
Influence of nitrogen fertiliser application and timing on greenhouse gas emissions from a lychee (Litchi chinensis) orchard in humid subtropical Australia
2013. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment, 179, 168–178. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2013.08.013

Scheer, C.; Wassmann, R.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Lamers, J. P. A.; Martius, C.
The relationship between N₂O, NO, and N₂ fluxes from fertilized and irrigated dryland soils of the Aral Sea Basin, Uzbekistan
2009. Plant and Soil, 314, 273–83. doi:10.1007/s11104-008-9728-8

Scheer, C.; Wassmann, R.; Kienzler, K.; Ibragimov, N.; Lamers, J. P. A.; Martius, C.
Methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in annual and perennial land-use systems of the irrigated areas in the Aral Sea Basin
2008. Global Change Biology, 14, 2454–68. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01631.x

Scheer, C.; Wassmann, R.; Kienzler, K.; Ibragimov, N.; Eschanov, R.
Nitrous oxide emissions from fertilized, irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the Aral Sea Basin, Uzbekistan: influence of nitrogen applications and irrigation practices
2008. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40, 290–301. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.08.007