Analytical Laboratory

Overview
Highlights
Analyses Available (Examples)
Contact Us

Overview

The 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.Top

Highlights

  • The 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 this year 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.

Analyses Available (Examples)

SoilsTop

  • Exchangeable cations and effective Cation Exchange Capacity

  • Total carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur

  • pH (water and/or calcium chloride)

  • Available phosphorus (Bray P-1)

  • Soil conductivity

  • Mineralizeable nitrogen (anaerobic)

  • Morgan’s Extraction

  • Sulphate-Sulphur

  • Mehlich III Extraction

  • Available ammonium and nitrate nitrogen

  • Loss on ignition (soil organic matter)

  • Acid ammonium oxalate, Al, Fe, Mn, Si

  • Citrate-dithionite Al, Fe, Mn, Si

  • Organic phosphorus

  • Pyrophospate Al, Fe, Mn, Si

  • Percentage sand/silt/clay

  • Water retention

  • Heavy metals

Tissues

  • Microwave-assisted acid digestion / ICP

  • Active iron in dry plant tissue

  • Nitrogen, carbon, and sulphur

  • Chlorophyll pigments

  • Fluoride in plant tissue (acid extractable)

  • Sulphate–S in plant tissue (weak acid extractable)

  • Soluble protein in plant tissue

  • Total non-structural carbohydrates

  • Acid-detergent fibre

Water

  • Water quality tests (TSS, VSS, TDS)

  • Total soluble N (and P)

  • Total organic carbon

  • Anion scans

  • Cation scans

  • Conductivity

InstrumentationTop

  • Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP)

  • High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC)

  • Ion Chromatograph

  • Gas-Liquid Chromatograph

  • Automated Headspace Analyzer

  • Automatic Titrator System

  • Alpkem Ion Analysis System

  • Combustion Elemental Analyzers

  • Ultraviolet/Visible Spectrophotometer

  • Infrared Spectrophotometer

  • pH/Ion and Conductivity Meters

Equipment

  • High-pressure Microwave Digestors

  • Automated Soxhlet Extractors

  • Centrifuges, Centrifugal Evaporator

  • Pressure-plate Apparatus

  • Linear Rate Freezer and Cryogenic Freezers

  • Freeze Dryer

  • Mills and Grinders

  • Incubators and Drying Ovens

  • Vacuum Evaporators

Contact us 

We welcome all comments and suggestions as to how we might improve the quality of service that we provide to our valued clients.

Laboratory Supervisor: Clive Dawson

Forestry and Technical Services Section, Research Branch
Research Branch Laboratory
4300 North Road
P.O. Box 9536 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, B.C. V8W 9C4
Phone: (250) 952-4133
Fax: (250) 952-4119

Ministry contact: Clive Dawson.
Please direct questions regarding webpage to For.Prodres@gov.bc.ca
Updated February 2008