My research focuses on the detailed understanding of greenhouse gas exchange (H2O, CO2; , N2O and CH4) in a variety of ecosystems worldwide including wetlands, woodlands, forests, savannas and managed grasslands (see details below)

By applying micrometeorological methods such as the eddy covariance technique I aim to define major meteorological as well as biological factors influencing ecosystem greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes and link the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and water.

Besides studying the ecosystem scale, I am further interested in exchange of GHGs at the process level (leaf and soils using GHG chambers) and larger scales (regional to global) using modeling (empirical, semi-empirical and process-based biogeochemical models) and remote sensing approaches.

Beyond the quantification of greenhouse gas fluxes I am interested in a more integrated ecosystem understanding trying to answer a simple questions: How do ecosystems function now and how will ecosystem function in the future?

Besides doing fundamental research I am motivated to educate undergraduate and graduate students in biology and environmental sciences but also to apply recent research findings in the real world.

My Projects

CIRNA

ACTIVE

CIRNA - CIRcularity of Nutrients in Agroecosystems and co-benefits for animal and human health

My Blog Posts

A degraded landscape in western Kenya

ILRI News

Research activities under COVID-19: a case of the ReDEAL project

Two students from Braeburn International School Arusha joining Mazingira for a week

Building capacity in greenhouse gas analytics beyond ILRI’s Mazingira Centre

Training on modelling greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems in Africa

My Publications

ILRI publication cover

Comparison of Tier 1 and 2 methodologies for estimating intake and enteric methane emission factors from smallholder cattle systems in Africa: a case study from Ethiopia

  • Gurmu, E.B.
  • Ndung'u, P.W.
  • Wilkes, Andreas
  • Getahun, D.
  • Graham, M.W.
  • Leitner, S.M.
  • Marquardt, S.
  • Mulat, D.G.
  • Merbold, Lutz
  • Worku, T.
  • Kagai, J.G.
  • Arndt, Claudia

Toward compatibility with national dairy production and climate goals through locally appropriate mitigation interventions in Kenya

  • Graham, Michael
  • Özkan, S.
  • Arndt, Claudia
  • González-Quintero, R.
  • Korir, Daniel
  • Merbold, Lutz
  • Mottet, A.
  • Ndung'u, Phyllis W.
  • Notenbaert, An Maria Omer
  • Leitner, Sonja

Greenhouse gas emissions from traditional livestock enclosures in Kenya and options for mitigation

  • Leitner, Sonja
  • Carbonell, V.
  • Yuhao Zhu
  • Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus
  • Barthel, M.
  • Mhindu, R.L.
  • Mutuo, Paul M.
  • Buchmann, Nina
  • Merbold, Lutz
SBB cover

Mechanisms behind high N2O emissions from livestock enclosures in Kenya revealed by dual-isotope and functional gene analyses

  • Xiantao Fang
  • Harris, S.J.
  • Leitner, Sonja
  • Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus
  • Conz, R.F.
  • Merbold, Lutz
  • Dannenmann, M.
  • Oyugi, A.
  • Shuwei Liu
  • Jianwen Zou
  • Six, Johan
  • Barthel, M.
ILRI publication cover

Toward compatibility with national dairy production and climate goals through locally appropriate mitigation interventions in Kenya

  • Graham, Michael W.
  • Özkan, Şeyda
  • Arndt, Claudia
  • González-Quintero, Ricardo
  • Korir, Daniel
  • Merbold, Lutz
  • Mottet, Anne
  • Ndung'u, Phyllis W.
  • Notenbaert, An
  • Leitner, Sonja M.

Greenhouse gas emissions from cattle enclosures in semi-arid sub-Saharan Africa: The case of a rangeland in South-Central Kenya

  • Leitner, Sonja M.
  • Carbonell, Victoria
  • Mhindu, Rangarirayi L.
  • Zhu, Yuhao
  • Mutuo, Paul
  • Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus
  • Merbold, Lutz