Department
of Earth and Environmental Science
Alain F. Plante
Laboratory
A newly-renovated laboratory
has recently
been equipped to provide excellent facilities for research in soil
organic biogeochemistry. These laboratory facilities include: an
ultrasonic generator and disruptor horn (Branson Sonifier 450D) for
physical dispersion of tightly aggregated soil samples, and a
high-speed centrifuge (Beckman J2-21) with high-volume rotor for
separation and isolation of soil particle (silt and clay) size
fractions.
A new LICOR LI-7000 infra-red
gas analyzer
(IRGA)
provides the capability for high-precision measurements of CO2
concentrations in gas samples from ambient levels up to 50,000 ppm. Two
refrigerator-sized incubators are used for laboratory soil incubations
at constant-temperature. This capability is used to quantify soil
respiration during incubation experiments as a measure of soil organic
matter decomposition by the soil microbial population and its enzymes.

All materials change their
physical
properties and their chemical characteristics as a function of
temperature. Our Netzsch STA409PC Luxx system for simultaneous thermal
analyzer (i.e., thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry)
provides the capability of measuring mass changes, decomposition
behavior, thermal stability, oxidation behavior, etc. of various
organic and mineral materials by subjecting samples to temperatures up
to 1200°C. Our primary interest in the thermal stability of
soil
organic matter is as a proxy for biological stability and as means of
describing of quality continuum of soil organic matter.

Together, these laboratory
facilities
provide us the means to physically, chemically and biologically
fractionate and characterize soil organic matter from a range of soil
types to assess its quantity, quality and dynamics.
In addition to our own lab,
shared
department laboratory space houses a range of traditional soil
preparation equipment such as sieves, balances, shakers, grinders, soil
and plant drying ovens, muffle furnaces, and adequate storage space for
archiving collected soil samples. Departmental facilities also house a
range of instrumentation, including: laser diffractometry for particle
size analysis, total C and N analyzers (Carlo Erba NA 1500 CN; Costech
Instruments Elemental Combustion System), dissolved inorganic N and P
analyzer (Alpkem 240 / Technicon autoanalyzer), stable isotope ratio
mass spectrometry (Thermo Finnigan Delta Plus; Finnigan MAT 252) with
various sample preparation units for analysis of 13C, 15N and 18O,
mineralogical analysis by x-ray diffraction (Philips XPert Pro XRD
Unit), and elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma analysis
(Perkin Elmer Emission Spectrometer Plasma 400).
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