William H. Clements Dept. of Fishery & Wildlife Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523 Phone: (970) 491-0690 e-mail: willc@cnr.colostate.edu

Education
B.S. Biology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

M.S. Biology. Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
1982. Thesis: "Feeding ecology of filefish (Pisces: Monacanthidae) in Apalachee Bay, Florida"

Ph.D. Zoology. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA. Dissertation: "Community responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates to heavy metals in laboratory and outdoor experimental streams"

Professional Affiliations
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
    Scholarships and Awards Committee,
North American Benthological Society
    Associate Editor, Journal of the North American Benthological Society
    Executive Committee, North American Benthological Society
Ecological Society of America
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Research Interests
My primary research interests are in basic aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology. My research has focused primarily on understanding how benthic macroinvertebrate communities respond to natural and anthropogenic stressors. By integrating biomonitoring studies with field and microcosm experiments, my students and I have attempted to understand the basic ecological effects of contaminants on aquatic communities. More recently, our research projects have included assessments of recovery from fire disturbance, quantifying interactions between natural and anthropogenic stressors, and measuring abiotic factors that influence contaminant bioavailability.

The primary sources of funding for our research have been the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Park Service.

Professional Experience
Current Position: Professor, Colorado State University. 2001 to present.
Previous Positions:

• Associate Professor, Colorado State University. 1995-2001.
• Assistant Professor, Colorado State University. 1989-1995.
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Miami University. 1988-1989.

Recent Publications (1998-2002) 

New Book: Community Ecotoxicology

Medley, C.N. and W.H. Clements. 1998. Responses of diatom communities to heavy metals in streams: the influence of longitudinal variation. Ecol. Appl. 8:631-644.

Hickey, C.W. and W.H. Clements. 1998. Effects of heavy metals on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in New Zealand streams. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 17:2338-2346.

Beaty, B.J., W.C. Black, J.O. Carlson, W.H. Clements, N. DuTeau, E. Harrahy, J. Nuckols, K.E. Olson, and A. Rayms-Keller. 1998. Molecular and genetic ecotoxicological approaches to aquatic environmental bioreporting. Environ. Health Perspect. 106 (Suppl.):1395-1407.

Courtney, L.A. and W.H. Clements. 1998. Effects of acidic pH on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in stream microcosms. Hydrobiologia 379:135-145.

Carlisle, D.M. and W.H. Clements. 1999. Sensitivity and variability of metrics used in biological assessments of running waters Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 18:285-291.

Beltman, D.J., W.H. Clements, J. Lipton, and D. Cacela. 1999. Benthic invertebrate metals exposure, accumulation, and community-level effects downstream from a hard-rock mine site. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 18:199-307.

Polonsky, A.P. and W.H. Clements. 1999. Contaminant assimilation within the water column of two newly-created prairie wetlands. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 36:140-145.

Clements, W.H. 1999. Metal tolerance and predator-prey interactions in benthic macroinvertebrate stream communities. Ecol. Appl. 9:1073-1084.

Beyers, D.W., J.A. Rice, W.H. Clements, and C.J. Henry. 1999. Estimating physiological cost of chemical exposure: integrating energetics and stress to quantify toxic effects in fish. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 56:814-822.

Beyers, D.W., J.A. Rice, and W.H. Clements. 1999. Evaluating biological significance of chemical exposure to fish using a bioenergetics-based stressor-response model. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 56:823-829.

Clements, W.H., D.M. Carlisle, J.M. Lazorchak, and P.C. Johnson. 2000. Heavy metals structure benthic communities in Colorado mountain streams Ecol. Appl. 10:626-638.

Courtney, L.A. and W.H. Clements. 2000 Sensitivity to acidic pH in benthic invertebrate assemblages with different histories of metal exposure. J. North Amer. Benthol. Soc. 19:112-127.

Clements, W.H. Integrating effects of contaminants across levels of biological organization: an overview. 2000. J. Aquat. Eco. Stress Recov. 7:113-116.

Clements, W.H., D.M. Carlisle, L.A. Courtney, and E.A. Harrahy. 2002. Integrating observational and experimental approaches to demonstrate causation in stream biomonitoring studies. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. Environ. Tox. Chem. 21: 1138-1146.

Courtney, L.A. and W.H. Clements 2002. Assessing the influence of water quality and substratum quality on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in a metal-polluted stream: an experimental approach. Freshwater Biology 47: 1766-1778.
 

Courses Taught
I teach three primary courses. In alternate years I teach Ecology (BY 320), a required course for all undergraduate students in the department. Each year I teach Design of Wildlife Projects (FW 370), a required course that introduces students to the research process. Topics range from the philosophy of science to experimental design and scientific writing. Each spring semester I teach a graduate course in Ecotoxicology (FW 544). This course examines the ecological effects of contaminants on populations, communities, and ecosystems.
 

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Advising
Former Students and Postdoctoral Research Associates:
M.S. Level
David Rees, Miriam Frugis, Nic Medley, Alan Polonsky, Russ Pickering, Lisa Courtney, Kristi Neptun, Blair Prusha, Kristi Walski

Ph.D. Level
Peter Kiffney, Elisabeth Harrahy, Daren Carlisle

Postdoctoral Research Associates
Dr. Orrin Meyers, Dr. Peter Kiffney

Current Graduate Students:
Nicole MacRury (Ph.D.) is investigating recovery of benthic communities following two large scale fire disturbances in watersheds of northern New Mexico.
Bob Zulleig (Ph.D.) is developing new bioassessment techniques for aquatic communities in urban watersheds.
Jeff Clark (M.S.) is investigating sublethal responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to heavy metals in the Arkansas River, CO.
Walter Johnston (M.S.) is assessing the interaction between ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and heavy metals in stream ecosystems.

Current Postdoctoral Research Associates:
Dr. Donna Kashian is examining the relationship between structural and functional measures of heavy metal pollution in Rocky Mountain streams

Research Positions in my Laboratory

If interested in positions in my laboratory you should send the following information:

• Cover letter indicating your research interests and a statement of professional goals
• Curriculum vitae
• All your transcripts (unofficial OK initially)
• GRE scores (unofficial OK initially)
• Names and contact information for 3 references