PEATFLUX+
Author(s): Mike Perks, George Xenakis, Nadeem Shah, Ainoa Pravia, Toby Robson, Carly Whittaker, Sirwan Yamulki
Toby Robson
PhD, MSc, BSc
Toby Robson
PhD, MSc, BScEnvironmental Modeller
Mensuration, growth and yield
Physical environmental sciences
Alice Holt
About Toby Robson
I have always had a desire to contribute to meaningful, good science. I began my higher education at Cardiff University by gaining a BSc in primary chemistry. I then pursued an emerging interest in research with my MSc in catalysis at the Cardiff Catalysis Institute. During my time at the CCI I began to foster the opinion that I held a love of research, but continuing in academia did not work for me. I wanted to contribute to science that would provide direct and meaningful differences to the world around me, science that could activate real, palpable goals. For my PhD I pivoted into research with an angle on primary research, but also immediate application to the fight against climate change. My PhD was with Professor Martin King from Royal Holloway university. My work focused on investigating atmospheric aerosol oxidation reactions and their potential effects on cloud formation, and thus the greenhouse effect. I observed many multi-stage oxidation reactions at the atomic level using x-ray and neutron reflectometry at the Diamond Light Source and the ISIS neutron source respectively. Due to the nature of the experimentation I was required to model every reaction in either python or C++. I have taken the skills I gained in modelling during my PhD and I am applying them to an active, and evolving field of practical, exciting science at Forest Research.
What Toby does
I have worked for Forest Research since January 2023. My role is primarily focused on improving the accuracy of soil carbon change modelling. Forest Research employ the total carbon accounting model CARBINE to account for and predict changes in the total forest carbon pool to improve the accuracy of the UK greenhouse gas inventory. Forest soils contain a large pool of carbon that must be accounted for when considering total forest carbon. The module SCOTIA within CARBINE models changes and accounts for forest soil carbon. My role, which is under the DESNEZ Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU), so far has been to identify current gaps in the data used as evidence to inform modelling using SCOTIA. New data is being gathered to fill these evidence gaps with the intention of improving the accuracy and flexibility of soil carbon change modelling. My work will evolve into using new data as it is gathered to sequentially improve the soil carbon accounting modelling performed by Forest Research.