Site Map OverviewThe Analytical Laboratory provides innovative, high-quality analytical chemistry support to the Forest Science Program, conducting chemical, physical, and biological tests on soil, water, and vegetation. Our primary clients are scientific staff within the Forest Stewardship and Operations Divisions of the Ministry of Forests and Range, but also other public-sector collaborators and co-operators. We have built a reputation among our clients for quality, consistency, and accuracy. On a cost recovery basis, the laboratory supports innovative research by routinely analyzing air, water, and soil samples as well as plant tissue (fresh and dried), pollen, wood and woody debris, leachates, fertilizers, and soil gases. The laboratory also provides consultation, responds to specialized requests, and designs customized tests as required. The laboratory uses highly automated spectrophotometric, chromatographic, and electrochemical techniques to determine nutrients and other constituents. Methods include pressure-plate apparatus for soil water retention testing, hydrometers for soil texture determinations, and high-resolution optical scans for computerized dendrochronology measurements. The Analytical Laboratory supports the scientific foundation for current and emerging Ministry forest stewardship goals and initiatives.  HighlightsThe Analytical Laboratory has been analyzing forestry-related samples for over 30 years. The lab is small, employing only four full-time equivalent staff, but has modern, automated equipment and conducts a multitude of tests on several thousand samples each year. Recent audits have demonstrated that the Analytical Laboratory is cost-effective, and provides added value to the Ministry by providing a unique area of expertise and supporting the scientific foundation for Ministry goals and objectives. Two new part-time staff—a Soils Analyst and a Laboratory Assistant—were hired to replace a retired Laboratory Technician, helping to align the laboratory’s capabilities better with emerging issues and evolving workload. Our growing internal client base now includes researchers in soil science, hydrology, range research, silviculture, genetics, and growth and yield, as well as operational seed orchards and nurseries. External clients include all of the major universities in British Columbia (University of British Columbia, University of Northern British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria) as well as the University of Calgary, Oregon State University, the University of Montana, the Pacific Forestry Centre, the Yukon Geological Survey, private consultants, and industry. Special requests have included testing for low molecular weight organic acids in soils, and for the sugar and mineral content of bigleaf maple saps and commercially produced syrups. The Lab recently acquired a fully automatic Leco TruSpec C, N, S analyzer that provides automated robotic sampling to speed sample processing and keep pace with the increased volume of samples resulting from research initiatives addressing climate change and forest carbon. A mass spectrometer was purchased to convert an existing gas chromatograph into a GC/MS system, thereby expanding the Lab's analytical ability to separate, identify, and quantify unknown organic compounds. This opens up new opportunities for research, for instance identifying additional terpenes in western redcedar foliage that may prove important for resistance to deer browsing. The Lab's water purification system was upgraded with a Siemens/Elga ultra-pure laboratory water system that uses reverse osmosis technology, resulting in improved water purity and faster water delivery, while greatly reducing power and water consumption.
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