Professional Bio

2001 Ph.D., Organismic Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, University of California, Los Angeles Advisor, Philip Rundel.  Dissertation Title:  Functional ecology, ecophysiology, and convergent evolution of dwarf shrub and cushion plant growth forms

1996 M.S. General Science/Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis

1992 B.A. Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder

Research & Scholarship

2012         Tropical Alpine Ecology.  Parque Nacional Lauca, Chile

Continued monitoring of Azorella compacta growth rate, ecophysiology, geographic range, population size and indigenous use in the park in collaboration with Dr. Phil Rundel and Eric Graham of UCLA.         

2011-        Restoration Ecology.  Mount Yale, CO

Long term trail restoration monitoring with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative and U.S. Forest Service involving study design and alpine ecology.

2005-11    Ecological Monitoring and Restoration.  City of Breckenridge, CO

Perform environmental monitoring and produce weed reports of Cucumber Gulch Wildlife Preserve in collaboration with Dr. Christy Carello of Metropolitan State College of Denver, CO.

2008-09    Conservation Biology.  Boulder County Parks and Open Space, CO

Investigated Abert’s squirrel populations in treated and untreated areas of Heil Valley Ranch, Boulder, County, in collaboration with Dr. Kelly Worden of Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood, CO.

 

2005         Plant Physiological Ecology.  University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

Research collaborators Dr. Ray Fall and Dr. Russ Monson.  Worked with increased CO2 and isoprene emission of Populus, using Li-Cor gas exchange equipment in addition to maintaining and programming Conviron growth chambers. 

1998-01   Ph.D. Field and Greenhouse Research.  Parque Nacional Lauca, Chile, White Mountain Research Station, CA; Bodega Bay Natural Reserve, CA

Conducted field studies using Li-Cor gas exchange and conductance equipment, pressure chambers, data loggers, and psychrometers.  Also conducted ecological research including habitat selection, niche partitioning, demography, nearest-neighbor analysis, principle components analysis, and multiple linear regression.

1998        Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS).  Costa Rica

Studied mouse home range size using Sherman traps, plant allometry, fish ecology, plant nastic movements, bird foraging behavior, and forest dynamics.

1997        Field Biology Quarter.  Chiang Mai, Thailand

Organized equipment and assisted in logistics for UCLA international field biology course.  Student projects included pioneer tree leaf physiology (see publication below), bird surveys using mist nets, and frog niche partitioning by call.

1993-96   M.S. Laboratory Research.  Oregon State University

Investigated the combined effects of tropospheric ozone and increased root zone temperatures on physiology, growth, and fecundity of two Brassicaceae species in controlled growth chamber experiments.

Awards & Recognition

2012 Regis College Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship
2012 Nominee and Finalist – Regis University Faculty Member of the Year
2011 National Geographic / Waitt Foundation Grant Recipient ($7,020)
2010 Nominee and Finalist – Regis University Faculty Member of the Year
2009 Boulder County Parks and Open Space Small Research Grant ($10,000)
2008 Boulder County Parks and Open Space Small Research Grant ($5,000)
2006 Colorado Native Plant Society, John Marr Research Grant
2004 Kenan Foundation, Kenan Fellowship for College Professors
2001 UCLA OBEE Lasiewski Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Research
2001 UCLA Professor Thomas James Memorial Award
2000 University of California Dissertation Year Fellowship
2000 UCLA Vavra Fellowship
2000 White Mountain Research Station Graduate Student Fellowship  
1999 UCLA Latin American Center Grant
1998 University of California Natural Reserve System Mildred E. Mathias Award
1997 UCLA Vice-Chancellor for Academic Research Fellowship Award

Presentations:

Kleier, C., and W. Stenzel. 2012. Poster. Azorella compacta conservation and demography in Parque Nacional Lauca, Chile.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

Moreland, K.*, and C. Kleier. 2012. Poster.  Observational flooding effects on Rhizophora mangle. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

Van der Vieren, D.*, and C. Kleier. 2012. Poster. Germination rates of Bouteloua gracilis (Blue grama) under different concentrations of magnesium chloride.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

Terry, T.*, and C. Kleier. 2011. Poster. Germination and growth of cheatgrass and blue grama in burned and unburned soils.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Austin, TX.

Kleier, C. 2011. Presentation. Modeling sustainability:  a perfect storm of culture change, general education and action.  Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Annual Meeting, Burlington, VT.

Kleier, C., and M. Nix. 2011. Presentation. Sustainability as enhanced by community based learning.   Rocky Mountain Sustainability Summit, Denver, CO.

Kleier, C., and C. Carello. 2010. Presentation.  Willow (Salix planifolia) clipping for ski trail maintenance reduces catkin production but does not decrease biodiversity.  Society for Conservation Biology Annual Meeting, Edmonton, Canada.

Gould, K.*, and C. Kleier. 2010. Poster. Environmental Impact Assessment – a capstone course for environmental studies and science majors.  Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

Kleier, C. A. Hoffa*, and C. Carello. 2009. Presentation. Growth and reproduction decline with willow (Salix sp.) clipping for ski trail maintenance. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM.

Kleier, C., and K. Worden. 2009. Poster. Impact of ponderosa pine thinning on Abert’s squirrel (Sciurus aberti) populations in Boulder County, CO.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM.

Kleier, C. 2008. Presentation. Assessment of environmental studies and science curricula at U.S. Jesuit Colleges and Universities.  XVI International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology Bellingham WA, USA.

C. Carello, C. Kleier, and A. Hoffa*.  2007. Presentation.  Impact of gondola construction and development on bird and mammal populations.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, San Jose, CA.

Kleier, C., A. Hoffa*, and C. Carello. 2006. Poster.  Willow (Salix sp.) as a diversity driver in a subalpine forest.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Memphis, TN.

Kleier, C., D. Bullard*, and B. Ybarrondo. 2004. Poster.  Water pressure chamber measures xylem water potential.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.

Kleier, C. 2003. Presentation.  Active learning in the plant sciences classroom.  Botanical Society of America Annual Meeting, Mobile, AL.

Kleier, C. and J. Lambrinos. 2002. Presentation.  Spatial patterns of shrubs and grasses in a tropical alpine puna.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ.

Kleier, C. and P.W.  Rundel. 2001. Presentation.  Comparative morphology, demography, and ecophysiology between two populations of Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus at two different altitudes in the White Mountains, CA.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Madison, WI.

Kleier, C. and P.W. Rundel. 2000. Presentation.  Comparison of functional morphology and ecophysiology between three shrubs in a Californian coastal prairie.   Ninth International Conference on Mediterranean Type Ecosystems.  Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Kleier, C., J. Lambrinos, and P.W.  Rundel. 2000. Poster.  Community vegetation analysis of Parque Nacional Lauca, Chile in the high Andean puna.  Joint meeting of the Ecological Society of America and the British Ecological Society, Orlando, FL.

Kleier, C. and P.W. Rundel. 1999. Presentation.  Cushion form adaptations of Azorella compacta to cold temperatures and drought in Parque Nacional Lauca, Chile.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Spokane, WA.

Kleier, C., L. Ainsworth*, and P.W.  Rundel. 1998. Poster.  Sunlight foraging in two tropical tree species.  Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD.

Publications:

14. Worden, K. and C. Kleier. Impact of Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) thinning on Abert’s Squirrel (Sciurus aberti) populations. Southwestern Naturalist.  In press.

13. Christner, L.* and C. Kleier.  2011. Quantitative reasoning in introductory environmental science textbooks. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 1(4): 296-300.

12. Brandenburg, W.* and C. Kleier.  2011.  Effect of MgCl2 on germination, growth, and biomass allocation of the radish cv.“Cherry Belle.“ American Journal of Environmental Sciences 7(2): 132-135.

11. Kleier, C. 2011.  Environmental Impact Assessment – A capstone course for environmental studies and science majors at Regis University.  Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 1(3): 228-232.

10. Kleier, C. and P.W. Rundel. 2009. Energy balance and temperature relations of Azorella compacta, a high elevation cushion plant of the central Andes. Plant Biology 11(3): 351-358.

9.   Kleier, C., C. Carello, and A. Hoffa*.  2008.  Willow (Salix spp.) clipping in Breckenridge, CO, for cross-country ski trails. Aquilegia 32(3): 4-7. 

8.   Lambrinos, J., Kleier, C., and P.W. Rundel.  2006.  Plant community variation across a Puna landscape in the Chilean Andes. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 79: 233-243.

7.   Kleier, C. and J. Lambrinos.  2005.  The importance of nurse associations for three tropical alpine life forms. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 37(5): 331-336.

6.   Kleier, C. and P.W. Rundel.  2004.  Microsite requirements, population structure and growth of the cushion plant, Azorella compacta, in the tropical Chilean Andes.  Austral Ecology 29(4): 461-470.

5.   Rundel, P.W., A. C. Gibson, G. S. Midgley, S. J. E. Wand, B. Palma, C. Kleier, and J. Lambrinos.  2003.  Ecological and ecophysiological patterns in a pre-altiplano shrubland of the Andean Cordillera in northern Chile.  Plant Ecology 169(2): 179-193.

4.   Lambrinos, J. and C. Kleier. 2003.  Thermoregulation of juvenile Andean toads (Bufo spinulosus) at 4300 m.  Journal of Thermal Biology 28: 15-19

3.   Kleier, C., L. Ainsworth*, and P.W. Rundel.  2001.  Sunlight foraging in two tropical Southeast Asian pioneer tree species:  Macaranga denticulata and Mallotus paniculatus.  Natural History Bulletin of the Royal Siam Society 49: 231-241.

2.   Kleier, C., B. Farnsworth, W.E. Winner.  2001.  Photosynthesis, growth and biomass allocation of radish (Raphanus sativa L.) in response to root temperature and ozone. Environmental Pollution 111: 127-133.

1. Kleier, C., B. Farnsworth, W.E. Winner.  1998.  Biomass, reproductive output and physiological responses of rapid-cycling Brassica (Brassica rapa L.) to ozone and modified root temperature.  New Phytologist 139: 657-664. Kleier, C. 2011.  Learning from experience: a reflection.  Regis University Magazine 19(2): 12.

Prof. Memberships:

Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences
Botanical Society of America
Ecological Society of America
Organization for Tropical Studies
Society for Conservation Biology