Dr Abby Mycroft

Teaching

I am course lead for the undergraduate Geography programs (BA and BSc) and manage academic activities in the Geoscience laboratory.

I currently teach on modules spanning the discipline of physical geography and quantitative data analysis.

I currently lead the following modules:

Second year:

• Global Ecosystems and Biogeography

Third year:

• Habitat Monitoring and Management
• Advanced Fieldwork

MSc Sustainable Environmental Management

• Sustainable Ecosystems

I currently co-teach on the following modules:

• Quantitative Methods
• Earth Systems
• Geographer's Professional Practice

I supervise third year Geography dissertations spanning ecology, land management, ecosystem service provisioning, and quantitative data analysis.

Research

My research interests are centred around ecology, hydrology, and soil sciences and links between land management and climate change. I am interested in the underpinning processes governing ecosystem service provisioning such as soil-biota interactions and soil geochemical processes. 

My PhD explored peat chemical properties and how these impacted blanket bog ecosystem service provisioning, specifically carbon storage and water quality. The project aimed to fill crucial evidence gaps which limited process level understanding, and the ability of restoration projects and water companies to explain currently observed and predict future changes in carbon-cycling and water quality in relation to habitat status, management and climate. The project (alongside work undertaken as part of a larger catchment scale project Peatland ES-UK) addressed an urgent UK research need regarding long-term and catchment-scale replicated evidence on blanket bog management and climate impacts. A novel-mesocosm approach was used to allow regular monitoring and sampling, which would not have been possible in-field, and combined laboratory water analysis and greenhouse gas flux measurements to make an assessment on best blanket bog management practice. Drinking water treatment efficiencies of peatland waters (in the context of disinfectant by-product formation and dissolved organic carbon removal) was also tested. A dual-wavelength (UV-absorbance) method was used to enable assessment of a waters disinfect by-product formation potential.

Current ongoing research

• Characterisation of peatland organic matter using 13C NMR in collaboration with Dr Coral Mycroft (University of Oxford) - Project lead
• Cricket grounds, climate resilience and biodiversity: A study of perceptions and realities of ecosystem service provisioning in Yorkshire, UK in collaboration with Dr Jude Parks and Dr Lucy Jones - Project lead
• Groundwater sapping process and form at the Hole of Horcum, North York Moors, in collaboration with Dr Pauline Couper and Dr Lucy jones

Publications and conferences

Journal articles

Heinemyer, A., Ashby, M., Liu, B., Mycroft, A., Burn, W., Holmes, T., Jones, A., and Andrews, L (2023) ‘Prescribed heather burning on peatlands: A review of ten key claims made about heather management impacts and implications for future UK policy’ To be published in Mires and Peat [forthcoming]

PhD thesis

Mycroft, A. L. (2024) Towards unravelling the peatland carbon cycle 'black box': linking peatland management, habitat status, and climate to water chemistry and quality, and greenhouse gas fluxes. PhD thesis, University of York.

Conferences and presentations

Mycroft, A. (2025) ‘From Bog to Brew: The story of our drinking water’ [presentation] Pint of Science York: Our planet and climate resilience, 19^th May, York UK

Mycroft, A., Penkman, K and Heinemeyer A. (2022) ‘UK peatland water quality considering vegetation, management and climate’ [poster], British Ecological Society Annual meeting, 18^th-21^st December, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Mycroft, A. (2022) ‘Blanket Bog dissolved organic carbon properties in the context of drinking water treatment’ [lecture] York St John University Geography reading week seminar, 14^th November, York St John University, York

Mycroft, A., Penkman, K and Heinemeyer, A. (2021) ‘Towards unravelling the ‘black box’ of peatland carbon: linking peatland habitat condition and management to water chemistry and quality’ [presentation] European Geosciences Union General Assembly EGU21: Gather Online, 19^th-30^th April

Mycroft, A., Penkman, K and Heinemeyer, A. (2020) ‘The peatland carbon black box: linking peatland habitat condition and management to water quality’ [presentation], British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, 14^th-17^th December

Mycroft, A., Penkman, K and Heinemeyer, A. (2020) ‘The carbon black box-linking peatland soil chemistry to water quality’ [poster], Flow Country Research Conference 6: Understanding dynamics, 17^th March, Thurso, Scotland, UK

Professional activities

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (awarded April 2025).

I am a board Trustee for PLACE (charity number 1106814).

At York St John, I am a member of the 'Dynamic Landscapes' and 'Ecological Research' groups. 

I am a member of the British Ecological Society and the Peatlands, and Plants, Soils, and Ecosystems special interest groups.

Awards
2025 - Course Team of the Year (Geography) YSJ SU awards
2025 - Inspirational staff member YSJ SU awards