Staff Profile
Abby Mycroft
Lecturer
I am an Environmental Scientist, specialising in ecology, and soil and water sciences, focussing on the processes which underpin ecosystem service delivery.
I studied at The University of York for my PhD in peatland science and began teaching at York St john during the finishing stages of the project in 2023. Prior to my PhD, I worked as an Organics Analyst in a commercial laboratory, specialising in GC-MS analysis of soil and waters whilst supervising a small group of technicians.
- School – School of Humanities
- Email – a.mycroft@yorksj.ac.uk
Teaching
I currently teach on modules spanning the discipline of physical geography and quantitative data analysis.
I am currently module lead on:
First Year
- Earth Systems
- Quantitative Methods
Second Year
- Global Ecosystems and Biogeography
Third Year
- Habitat Management
I current co-teach on
Second Year
- Research Project
- Geographer's Professional Practice
I also supervise third year Geography dissertations
Research
My research interests are centered around ecology, hydrology, and soil sciences and links between land management and climate change.
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.
Publications and conferences
2022, Poster presentation - UK peatland water quality considering vegetation, management and climate, British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, Edinburgh
2021, Presentation, Towards unravelling the 'Black Box' of peatland carbon: Linking peatland habitat condition and management to water chemistry and quality. European Geosciences Union General Assembly
2020, Presentation, The Peatland Carbon Black Box: Linking peatland habitat condition and management to water quality. British Ecological Society Annual Meeting
2020, Poster presentation, The carbon black box-linking peatland soil chemistry to water quality. Flow Country Research Conference 6: Understanding dynamics, Thurso, Scotland
Professional activities
I am a member of the British Ecological Society and the Peatlands, and Plants, Soils, and Ecosystems special interest groups.
