Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory

Routine Analyses

EcoCore facilitates a large number of chemical, physical and molecular analyses. Researchers can use EcoCore's facility to perform these analyses for a per-hour charge, to cover for some of the consumables (e.g. glassware, chemicals,...) and technical support. Training on certain complex methods may be charged extra. Common analyses include:

  • Soil texture
    • By the hydrometer method, up to 40 samples per day

  • Soil pH

  • Soil carbonates (inorganic C)
    • By pressure transducer following acid addition
    • Vials, chemicals and pressure transducer available

  • Soil microbial biomass
    • Chloroform fumigation followed by direct extraction
    • A dedicated vacuum pump and chamber allow analysis of 30-90 samples per week

  • PLFA extraction from soils
    • Modified Bligh-Dyer extraction and mild alkaline methanolysis derivatization for GC analysis

  • Respiration/Carbon mineralization
    • May be measured by head space sub-sampling and direct injection into an Infrared Gas Analyzer (IRGA)
    • A large number of 1/2, 1, 2, and 4 liter jars are available
    • A constant temperature room at 25°C can accommodate hundreds of samples for extended time periods
    • Two small (~2 cu. ft) heat-only incubators can maintain 25-40+ °C and two large (~20 cu. ft.) refrigerated incubators can maintain ~4-40 °C for shorter time periods.

  • Soil aggregate distribution
    • By wet-sieving
    • Uses a variety of sieves and a high capacity centrifuge: 6 liter (6 x 1L bottles) up to 5000 g

  • Soil organic matter fractionation
    • Density flotation of light fraction with aspirator setup
    • Sodium Polytungstate recycling system (sodium resin and activated carbon columns)

  • Soil moisture retention
    • Four pressure chamber/plates can equilbrate up to 72 samples (5 cm. diameter) at moisture potentials ranging from -0.08 to -1 bar. One 1/2 bar high flow plate is available for potentials ranging from -0.005 to -0.5 bar

  • Extraction equipment
    • Two orbital shakers with holders for 125 ml and 250 ml flasks allow shaking of up to 106-125 ml flasks or 80-250 ml flasks at once
    • Six filtration racks allow filtering of up to 60 samples at once

  • Fiber/Lignin analysis
    • Fiber analysis may be performed using a modified Goering-Van Schoest forage fiber technique. Analytes include: cell contents, cell wall constituents, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. Up to 80 samples per week may be analyzed, depending on which components are desired.

  • Enzyme activity
    • Fluorescence-based method for measuring β-D-cellubiosidase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), N-acetyl-β-glucoasminidase (NAG), phosphatase, and β-xylosidase in soil.
    • Uses a microplate reader