Program Faculty

The Systems Ecology Intercollegiate Graduate Program is comprised of a collective group of faculty from across campus who advise and guide students accepted to the Systems Ecology graduate program. Faculty come from across campus,  ranging from the W.A. Franke College of Forestry, the Division of Biological Sciences, The School of Business, School of Journalism,  Departments of Environmental Science, Geography, Economics. University faculty apply to become part of the Systems Ecology faculty, and are accepted based on their topical area of research and teaching relevant to systems ecology, and scholarly performance. View the Faculty Guidelines.


William Holben

Professor Emeritus

Contact

Office
Health Sciences 503A
Phone
(406) 243-6365
Email
Bill.Holben@mso.umt.edu

Education

B.A. State University of New York at Fredonia, 1978
M.S. State University of New York at Buffalo, 1982
Ph.D. State University of New York at Buffalo, 1985

Research Interests

Molecular microbial ecology, molecular genetics, and environmental microbiology.  Ongoing research projects include: Community-level analyses linking bacterial community structure, function, activity and diversity in metal-contaminated and pristine river sediment systems; exploring the role of the microbial community in the success of invasive weeds; examining the role of charcoal from forest fires in controlling the distribution and activity of nitrifying bacteria in forest soils; fate and transport of microbes in the environment; microbial ecology of the gastrointestinal tract; using the soil bacterial community as an early warning system for elevated CO2.

Field of Study

Molecular microbial ecology

Selected Publications

Kovacik, W.P. Jr., K. Takai, M.R. Mormile, J.P. McKinley, F.J. Brockman, J.K. Fredrickson and W.E. Holben. 2005. Molecular analysis of deep subsurface cretaceous rock indicates abundant Fe(III)- and So-reducing bacteria in a sulfate-rich environment. Environ. Microbiol: doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2005.00876.x

Mummey, D.L., M.C. Rillig and W.E. Holben. 2005. Neighboring plant influences on arbuscular mycorrhiza fungal community composition as assessed by T-RFLP analysis. Plant and Soil: 271:83-90.

Holben, W.E., K.P. Feris, A. Kettunen, and J.H.A. Apajalahti. 2004. GC fractionation enhances microbial community diversity assessment and detection of minority populations of bacteria by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:2263-2270.

Feris, K.P., P.W. Ramsey, M. Rillig, J.N. Moore, J.E. Gannon, and W.E. Holben. 2004. Determining rates of change and evaluating group-level resiliency differences in hyporheic microbial communities in response to fluvial heavy metal deposition. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:4756-4765.

Callaway, R.M., G.C. Thelen, A. Rodriguez, and W.E. Holben. 2004. Soil biota and exotic plant invasion. Nature 427:731-733.

Feris, K. P. Ramsey, C. Frazar, J.N. Moore, J.E. Gannon, and W.E. Holben. 2003. Differences in hyporheic zone microbial community structure along a heavy metal contamination gradient. Appl Environ. Microbiol. 69:5563-5573.

Apajalahti. J.H.A., A.Kettunen, P.H. Nurminen, H. Jatila, and W.E. Holben. 2003. Selective plating underestimates abundance and shows differential recovery of Bifidobacterial species from human feces. Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 69:5731-5735.

Feris, K.P., P.W. Ramsey, C. Frazar, M.C. Rillig, J.E. Gannon, and W.E. Holben. 2003. Structure and seasonal dynamics of hyporheic zone microbial communities in free-stone rivers of the western United States. Microb. Ecol. 46:200-215.