To submit a sample for the Home Garden and Lawn soil testing package, click here for the Sample Submission Form
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Facilities - FoReST
Main Lab
Location:
Lakehead University Braun Building BB1071
Instrumentation and Equipment for measuring:
pH (probes)
Electrical conductivity (probe)
Particle size distribution, e.g. soil texture (Bouyoucus hydrometers)
Organic content removal in soils (hot plates, sieves, drying oven)
% organic matter (high capacity muffle furnace)
% volatiles, ash and fixed carbon (thermogravimetric analyser -LECO TGA 601)
Total nutrients/metals in soil, plant and biomass by acid digestion (Mod-Block digestor)
Extractable nutrients/metals in soil (shaker, centrifuge, Mod-Block digestor)
All chemical extractions are performed in the main lab, which are then brought to the instrumentation laboratory (LUIL), located in UC0001, for analysis by ICP-AES and spectrophotometer
Prep Lab
Location:
Lakehead University Braun Building BB1073
Equipment for processing and preparing soil, plant and biomass samples:
Large, programmable drying oven
Large storage racks for air-drying
Humbolt flail soil grinder
Wiley micromill grinder for foliage, roots, shoots and sawdust
Various units for hand grinding (mortar and pestle, sieves)
Various balances with a range in capacity and accuracy
Storage of soil, plant, biomass and water samples:
The FoReST Prep lab is equipped to store a large number of air-dried, fresh or frozen soil, plant, biomass and water samples for a set duration of time following analyses
Autoanalyzer Lab
Location:
Lakehead University Braun Building 1069
Technicon Autoanalyzers for measuring:
Ammonium (NH4)
Nitrate (NO3 and NO2)
Total Soluble Nitrogen (TSN)
Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
Field Equipment
In addition to our lab facilities, the FoReST lab is also equipped with various types of equipment necessary to collect field samples (soil augers, bulk density cores, and portable pH/conductivity probes).
