Contact Dr Theresa Mercer
- Email: Theresa.Mercer@cranfield.ac.uk
- Twitter: @TheresaGMercer
- ORCID
- Google Scholar
- ResearchGate
Areas of expertise
- Environment and Health
- Environmental Impacts
- Natural Capital
- Soil Resources
- Sustainable Land Systems
- Waste Management and Resource Efficiency
Background
Dr Mercer is trained as an inter-disciplinary environmental scientist. Her research interests lie in environmental systems change following perturbations such as landuse change and management interventions. She uses collaborative education approaches for optimising environmental system goal setting and in promoting pro-environmental behaviours for environmental sustainability. Areas of teaching and disciplinary-based educational research focus on education for sustainable development (ESD), environmental management and digital tools for future-proofing environmental teaching and learning.
Theresa joined the Cranfield Environment Centre in May 2023 as a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sustainability and Environment Programme Director following academic postings at the University of Lincoln, Cardiff University, Cranfield University, Keele University, the University of Queensland (Australia) and the University of Hull. She obtained her PhD in physical geography from the University of Hull (UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded) with a PGDip in Research Skills following a degree in environmental science from the University of East Anglia and MSc in environmental management from Sunderland University.
She is currently a Visiting Academic for the University of Lincoln, a Member of the Institution of Environmental Sciences and an Affiliate Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. She holds a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
Research opportunities
Examples of current and recent research supervision
PhD:
Community Education and Its Impact on Environmental Stewardship in Tuvalu (Commonwealth Funded studentship) (Soseala Tinalu, current, external supervisor)
Masters by Research:
The efficacy of using gamification for educating HE students on sustainability and climate change (Jessica Thomas, current, external supervisor)
Optimising provisions of Education for Sustainability (Chris Pugh, current, external supervisor)
An investigation into R. ponticum impacts on woodland soil health and recommendations for management and removal techniques (Michaela Loria, completed)
Current activities
Current and Recent Research Activities include:
- Using AI technology and online apps to understand and enhance ecosystem services and habitat connectivity across Lincolnshire (2022- )
UPP-funded project that uses a citizen science approach to map three key ecosystem services (biodiversity and habitat connectivity, above-ground carbon storage, water infiltration for flood regulation) using an AI-enabled mobile application.
- Harnessing Lincolnshire soils for solutions to global challenges (2021- )
Internally-funded project (UoL) focusing on the impact of landuse change on soil functions and potential mitigation techniques
- Collaborative approaches to Education for Sustainable Development: The use of educational game design and play (with the University of Lincoln, Keele University and the University of Hull) (2012- )
This project assesses the potential for higher education (HE) students to engender greater public participation and climate action amongst school pupils through the creation of educational games. The study develops a new approach to ESD whereby HE environmental/geography students become co-producers of climate knowledge and action through creating, playing and delivering games in a life-cycle approach.
- Hospital Plantation Woodland Management project (with Hill Holt Wood) (2018-2023)
Monitoring project to support delivery of a woodland management plan focusing on invasive species mapping (vegetation surveys, aerial photos and pollen analysis), lowland heathland restoration.
- Assessing the progress of river restoration in the UK over the last three decades (NRRI and RHS data) with a focus on habitat condition (2019-2021) (University of Lincoln with the River Restoration Centre, Cranfield University)
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Rust W, Sotkewicz M, Li Z, Mercer T & Johnston AS. (2024). Soil–Plant–Pollinator Relationships in Urban Grass and Meadow Habitats: Competing Benefits and Demands of Tall Flowering Plants on Soil and Pollinator Diversity. Diversity, 16(6)
- Mercer TG, Kythreotis AP, Harwood J, Robinson ZP, George SM, .... (2023). The benefits of virtual fieldtrips for future-proofing geography teaching and learning. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 47(2)
- Eze S, Magilton M, Magnone D, Varga S, Gould I, .... (2023). Meta-analysis of global soil data identifies robust indicators for short-term changes in soil organic carbon stock following land use change. Science of The Total Environment, 860
- Kythreotis AP, Jonas AEG, Mercer TG & Marsden TK. (2023). Rethinking urban adaptation as a scalar geopolitics of climate governance: climate policy in the devolved territories of the UK. Territory, Politics, Governance, 11(1)
- Mercer T. (2023). The support I needed. Science, 382(6675)
- Moore HE, Mercer TG, de Alwis Pitts D, Beagley S, Naura M, .... (2021). Assessing the progress of river restoration in the
UK : Has biophysical condition improved over two decades of intervention?. River Research and Applications, 37(10) - Kythreotis AP, Howarth C, Mercer TG, Awcock H & Jonas AEG. (2021). Re-evaluating the changing geographies of climate activism and the state in the post-climate emergency era in the build-up to COP26. Journal of the British Academy, 9s5
- Norton BA, Bending GD, Clark R, Corstanje R, Dunnett N, .... (2019). Urban meadows as an alternative to short mown grassland: effects of composition and height on biodiversity. Ecological Applications, 29(6)
- Kythreotis AP, Mantyka-Pringle C, Mercer TG, Whitmarsh LE, Corner A, .... (2019). Citizen Social Science for More Integrative and Effective Climate Action: A Science-Policy Perspective. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 7(FEB)
- Corstanje R, Mercer TG, Rickson JR, Deeks LK, Newell-Price P, .... (2017). Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils. Solid Earth, 8(5)
- Mercer TG, Kythreotis AP, Robinson ZP, Stolte T, George SM, .... (2017). The use of educational game design and play in higher education to influence sustainable behaviour. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18(3)
- Mercer T. (2017). By students, for students. Nature, 541(7635)
- Mercer TG & Greenway GM. (2014). Diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) for profiling leaching of CCA-treated wood waste mulch into the soil environment. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 94(2)
- Mercer EV, Mercer TG & Sayok AK. (2014). Effects of forest conversions to oil palm plantations on freshwater macroinvertebrates: a case study from Sarawak, Malaysia. Journal of Land Use Science, 9(3)
- Mercer TG & Frostick LE. (2014). Evaluating the potential for environmental pollution from chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood waste: A new mass balance approach. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 276
- Kythreotis AP, Mercer TG & Frostick LE. (2013). Adapting to Extreme Events Related to Natural Variability and Climate Change: The Imperative of Coupling Technology with Strong Regulation and Governance. Environmental Science & Technology, 47(17)
- Mercer TG & Frostick LE. (2012). Leaching characteristics of CCA-treated wood waste: A UK study. Science of The Total Environment, 427-428
- Mercer TG, Lillie MC & Smith RJ. (2012). Changes in the Physico-Chemical and Microbial Nature of Wetlands from the Leaching of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)-Treated Wood. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, 14(1-4)
- Mercer TG, Frostick LE & Walmsley AD. (2011). Recovering incomplete data using Statistical Multiple Imputations (SMI): A case study in environmental chemistry. Talanta, 85(5)
- Mercer T, Kythreotis A, Lambert C & Hughes G. (2011). Student‐led research training within the PhD: “PhD experience” conferences. International Journal for Researcher Development, 2(2)
Books
- Wang Z, Lourdes KT, Hamel P, Mercer TG & Lechner AM. (2023). Tools for Mapping and Quantifying Ecosystem Services Supply In Engineering and Ecosystems. Springer International Publishing.
- Wang Z, Lourdes KT, Hamel P, Mercer TG & Lechner AM. (2023). Tools for mapping and quantifying ecosystem services supply In Engineering and Ecosystems: Seeking Synergies Toward a Nature-Positive World.
- Mercer TG, Kythreotis AP, Kelly H, Robinson ZP, George SM, .... (2022). Future-Proofing Geography Teaching and Learning Using Remote Learning and Co-Creation Approaches In Vega AGDL(ed.), Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design. IGI Global.
- Mercer TG & Kythreotis AP. (2020). Science, Faith and the Climate Crisis In Myers S, Hemstock S & Hanna E (eds), Science, Faith and the Climate Crisis. Emerald Publishing Limited.
- Kythreotis AP & Mercer TG. (2020). Collaborative Education as a ‘New (Urban) Civil Politics of Climate Change’ In Climate Urbanism. Springer International Publishing.
- Frostick LE, McLelland SJ, Mercer TG, Kirkegaard J, Wolters G, .... Frostick LE, McLelland SJ & Mercer TG (eds). (2011). Users Guide to Physical Modelling and Experimentation
- Frostick LE, McLelland SJ, Mercer TG, Kirkegaard J, Wolters G, .... Frostick LE, McLelland SJ & Mercer TG (eds). (2011). Users Guide to Physical Modelling and Experimentation
- Frostick L, McLelland S & Mercer T. (2011). Chapter 1: Introduction In Users Guide to Physical Modelling and Experimentation Experience of the HYDRALAB Network. CRC Press.
- Frostick L, McLelland S & Mercer T. (2011). Chapter 5: Ecological Experiments In Users Guide to Physical Modelling and Experimentation Experience of the HYDRALAB Network. CRC Press.
