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Welcome to the Flux Lab!

In the Flux Lab, Dave Risk and many talented young researchers work collaboratively to develop new instrumentation, modeling, and analytical strategies for measuring Greenhouse Gas production and emission from soils. We work closely with others in larger research centres such as the Environmental Sciences Research Centre at StFX, the International Centre for Terrestrial Antarctic Research, and the Carbon Management Canada Centre of Excellence.

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Ecosystems

Our research is interdisciplinary, but always relates to ecosystem function near the soil-atmosphere interface - a dynamic physical and biogeochemical environment. Most projects place a strong emphasis on field work and experimentation, at sites across Canada, in the northern USA, and in Antarctica. For the computationally-inclined, we also place a strong emphasis on computer modelling research.

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Culture

Our projects blend two opposing forces: logical solving of clearly defined problems; and free-form exploration of novel ideas.  Team members always bring valuable new perspectives to the mix.

 

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Instrumentation

Gearhead? Our group works hard on improving methodologies.  Instrumentation is developed in our own shop, and we lovingly handcraft our own computer simulation codes. We also manage various long-term soil observatory sites - accessible via the infrastructure page.

Meet the team

See Past Members

Infrastructure

Field Research Sites

FIELD SITES Check out the Soil Observation Station data pages! All sites use FD Flux Instruments

OTHER FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

  • Picarro WS-CRDS Analyzer for Isotopic CO2 - G1101-i (new!)
  • Fully automated custom-made Flux Generator
  • Multiple dataloggers, with cell telemetry
  • Several kitted meteo stations (T sensors, moisture probes, humidity, wind, radiation)
  • In-situ CO2 detection equipment (many Vaisala probes)
  • In-situ O2 detection equipment (many Apogee probes)
  • In-situ CH4 detection equipment (many METS probes, shared with L. Kellman)
  • Varian triple detector gas chromatograph (shared with L. Kellman)
  • Full manual machine shop
  • Pionjar Soil Coring System
  • A big black research vehicle
  • Access to the facilities of the ESRC on a collaborative basis, including two Licor LI-8100s, a multi-inlet GV Isoprime Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer, incubation chambers and other. Also check out the Phytotron Chambers at Acadia University, where we frequently do research.

Publications

Published

Klapstein, S.J., Risk, D. 2010. Relative Importance of Physical Constraints on Decomposition. The Journal of Young Investigators Vol. 21, Issue 2, pages 17-30, February 2011. Here.  

Phillips, C.L., Nickerson, N., Risk, D., Bond, B. 2010. Interpreting diel hysteresis between soil respiration and temperature. Global Change Biology Volume 17, Issue 1, pages 515–527, January 2011. Here.

Phillips, C.L. Nickerson, N., Risk, D., Kayler, Z.E., Andersen, C., Mix, A., Bond, B. (2010) Soil moisture effects on the carbon isotope composition of soil respiration Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 24: 1271-1280. Here.

Nickerson, N., and D. Risk. (2009) A numerical evaluation of chamber methodologies used in measuring the δ13C of soil respiration. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 23, 2802-2810. Here.

Risk, D., L. Kellman and M. Moroni. (2009) Characterization of variability and spatial patterns in tree and soil δ13C at research sites in eastern Canada. Isotopes in Environment and Health 45, 220-230. Here.

Nickerson, N., and D. Risk. (2009) Keeling plots are non-linear in non-steady state diffusive environments. Geophysical Research Letters, 36, L08401, doi:10.1029/2008GL036945. Here

Nickerson, N., and D. Risk. (2009) Physical Controls on the Isotopic Composition of Soil Respired and CO2. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 114, G01016, doi:10.1029/2008JG000844. Here.

Risk, D., Kellman, L., H. Beltrami and A. Diochon. (2008) In-situ incubations by root exclusion highlight the climatic sensitivity of soil organic matter pools. Environmental Research Letters, 3, 044004. Here.

Risk, D., Kellman, L. (2008) Isotopic Fractionation in Non-Equilibrium Diffusive Environments. Geophysical Research Letters, 35, L02403, doi:10.1029/2007GL032374. Here.

Risk, D., Kellman, L., and H. Beltrami. (2008) A new method for in-situ soil gas diffusivity measurement and applications in the monitoring of subsurface and CO2 production. Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences - doi:10.1029/2007JG000501. Here.

Kellman, L. Beltrami, H. and D. Risk. (2007) Changes in seasonal soil respiration with pasture conversion to forest in Atlantic Canada. Biogeochemistry, 10.1007/s10533-006-9056-0. Here.

Risk, D., Kellman, L., and H. Beltrami (2002). Soil and CO2 production and surface flux at four climate observatories in eastern Canada, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 16 (4), 1122, doi:10.1029/2001GB001831. Here.

Risk, D., Kellman, L. and H. Beltrami (2002). Carbon dioxide in soil profiles: Production and temperature dependency, Geophysical Research Letters, 29 (6), 10.1029/2001GL014002. Here.

MEETING ABSTRACTS AND PRESENTATIONS (PAST 3 YEARS)

Hart, C., Risk, D. Multi-Frequency Biophysical Soil Respiration Model. APICS Agriculture and Fisheries, Biology and Environmental Studies Conference, Halifax, NS, Mar 2011. 

Burns, E., Montenegro, A., Risk, D. Soil Respiration Deserves More Attention in Climate Models. APICS Agriculture and Fisheries, Biology and Environmental Studies Conference, Halifax, NS, Mar 2011. 

Mason, S., Risk, D. Carbon offsetting though the flaring and collecting of methane gas from community landfills. APICS Agriculture and Fisheries, Biology and Environmental Studies Conference, Halifax, NS, Mar 2011. 

Louiseize, N., Risk, D. Winter CO2 Fluxes from a Nova Scotian Bog. APICS Agriculture and Fisheries, Biology and Environmental Studies Conference, Halifax, NS, Mar 2011. 

Nickerson, N., Egan, J., Risk, D. A novel method to measure the isotope ratio of soil respiration. APICS Agriculture and Fisheries, Biology and Environmental Studies Conference, Halifax, NS, Mar 2011. 

Egan, J., Nickerson, N., Risk, D. Can tree girdling help distinguish between heterotrophic and autotrophic soil respiration in a NS pine plot? APICS Agriculture and Fisheries, Biology and Environmental Studies Conference, Halifax, NS, Mar 2011. 

Owens, J., Risk, D., Nickerson, N. Development of Real-Time Soil Carbon Ecoinformatics Infrastructure Using Observational Network Data. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, Dec 2010. 

Nickerson, N., Phillips, C., Risk, D. A multi-time scale, non-linear approach to understanding soil respiration. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, Dec 2010. 

Creelman, C.A., Nickerson, N., Risk, D. Quantifying soil CO2 respiration measurement error across instruments using numerical models. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, Dec 2010. 

Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Owens, J., Creelman, C., McArthur, G., Phillips, C.L., Bourlon, E., Hart, C., Montenegro, A., Burns, E., Preparing for the Future: A Soil CO2 Observatory for the North American Arctic. ArcticNet Annual Meeting, Ottawa December 2010. 

Risk, D., Nickerson, N., McArthur, G., Creelman, Cl, Phillips, C.L., Bourlon, E., Simpson, K., Montenegro, A., Burns, E. Towards a Soil CO2 Observation System for the North American Arctic. Oslo International Polar Year Meeting, Oslo, May 2010. 

McArthur, G., Risk, D., Beltrami, H., Kellman, L., Calibration and Verification of the Flux Solution Technology, American Geophysical Union, Toronto, ON, May 2009. 

McArthur, G., Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Beltrami, H., Kellman, L., Klapstein, S., CT-FD; a New Technique for Continuous Long‐Term Measurement of CO2 Efflux, American Geophysical Union, Toronto, ON, May 2009. 

McArthur, G., Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Beltrami, H., Kellman, L., CT-FD; a New Technique for Continuous Long‐Term Measurement of CO2 Efflux, European Geophysical Union General Assembly, Vienna, April 2009. 

Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Phillips, C., Van Pelt, A., Kellman, L., Physical Controls on the Isotopic Composition of Soil Respired δ13CO2, European Geophysical Union General Assembly, Vienna, April 2009. 

Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Phillips, C., Van Pelt, A., Kellman, L., Physical Controls on the Isotopic Composition of Soil Respired CO2, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, Dec 2008. 

McArthur, G., Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Beltrami, H., A new technique for continuous long-term measurement of CO2 efflux, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, Dec 2008. 

Phillips, C., Nickerson, N., Risk, D., Kayler, Z., Bond, B., Mix, A., Soil Drying Effects on the δ13C Composition of Soil Respiration, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, Dec 2008. 

Nickerson, N., Risk, D., Isotope end-member mixing models are non-linear in non-steady state diffusive environments, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, Dec 2008. 

Rahn, T., McDowell, N., Powers, H., Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Bible, K., Van Pelt, A., Rella, C., Wahl, E., Continuous, In-Situ Isotopic CO2 Measurements of Ecosystem Exchange Processes and Soil Respiration Using a WS-CRDS Analyzer, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, 2008. 

Rahn, T., McDowell, N., Powers, H., Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Van Pelt, A., Rella, C., Wahl, E., Continuous Isotopic CO2 Measurements by Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy: Studies of Exchange Processes in Terrestrial Ecosystems, European Stable Isotope Meeting, 2008 

Rahn, T., McDowell, N., Powers, H., Risk, D., Nickerson, N., Van Pelt, A., Rella, C., Wahl, E., Continuous Isotopic CO2 Measurements by Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy: Studies of Exchange Processes in Terrestrial Ecosystems, International Conference on Applications of Stable Isotope Techniques to Ecological Studies, Honolulu, Sept. 2008. 

Nickerson, N., Risk, D. Isotopic Fractionation in Non-Steady State Diffusive Soil-Atmosphere Environments, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Meeting, Kelowna, May 2008. 

Nickerson, N., Risk, D. Carbon Capture and Storage Monitoring Technology Development at StFX, Nova Scotia Energy Research and Development Forum, Antigonish, April 2008. 

Nickerson, N., Risk, D. The Isotopic Signature of Soil CO2 Flux in Non-Steady State Environments, Atlantic Provinces Council for Sciences Meeting, Antigonish, March 2008. 

Risk, D., and N. Nickerson. Soil CO2 Emissions: Changes in effective diffusivity due to sustained winds. American Geophysical Union Meeting, San Francisco, Dec. 2007. 

Risk, D., and L. Kellman. Isotopic Fractionation in Non-Equilibrium Diffusive Environments: Implications for Chamber- Based Studies of Soil Gas Fluxes, American Geophysical Union Meeting, San Francisco, Dec. 2007. 

Risk, D. Kellman, L., Beltrami, H., and A. Diochon. In-Situ and Laboratory Incubations Highlight the Climatic Sensitivity of Soil Organic Matter Pools. Canadian Geophysical Union/ Canadian Meteorological Society, St. John's, May 2007. 

Risk, D. Technologies for Non-Invasive Surface Gas Monitoring. Nova Scotia Environmental Industry Association Remediation Forum, Halifax, NS, March 2007. 

For Students

What is life like as a member of Dave Risk's lab team?

For Students
  • Accessibility and inclusion. I sit full-time in the busy lab, to be accessible and also to include students in grant application writing, publishing, protection of intellectual property, industrial partnering, etc.
  • Role definition and Team. Every person in my team always has a uniquely defined research role. Even undergraduates are expected to be researchers - just in more narrowly defined niche areas.
  • Organization. My students and I collaborate using an internal wiki, which contains all data, photos, plots, publications, and in-progress work from our team. Students also access administrative forms here, and thereby share in running the lab - freeing me to contribute more to their research!
  • Multilayer supervision. In general, undergraduates are informally co-supervised by at least one graduate student. And, graduate students are often mentored by postdocs within the team. This provides important crossover, and adds an element of peer review to everyone's work.
  • Larger frameworks and world-awareness. I collaborate in larger research centres such as the Environmental Sciences Centre at StFX and others. My students also participate in more conferences than is typical. It's important to know what's out there, and how to collaborate with others.
  • CREATE. NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience - Our CREATE Training Program for Climate Scientists (TPCS) is now up and running! Very cool programming - not your average graduate experience!

Currently available, funded positions:

None at this time

Our Partners

Get in touch

David Risk, PhD

Earth Sciences
St. Francis Xavier University

PO Box 5000
Antigonish, NS, Canada
B2G 2W5

Office: (902) 867-5282
Lab: (902) 867-4854
Fax: (902) 867-2414