Position at Coweeta LTER:  Principle Investigator
Specialty:  Stream Processes
Habitat:  Streams
Organism:  Invertebrates
Core Area(s):  Primary Production (1), Trophic Structure (2), Organic Matter/Decomposition (3)

Education:
B.S., Appalachian State University, Biology, 1964
M.A., Appalachian State University, Biology, 1965
Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Zoology, 1971

Appointments:
Professor, Virginia Tech, 1985-present
Associate Professor, Virginia Tech, 1977-1985
Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, 1971-1977
Post-doctoral Associate, Virginia Tech, 1970-1971

Publications (Five as examples of research foci):
Benfield, E.F.,J.R. Webster, J.J. Hutchens, J.L. Tank, & P.A. Turner. 2000. Organic matter dynamics along a stream-order and elevational gradient in a southern Appalachian stream. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 27:1341-1345.

Benfield, E. F., J. R. Webster, J. L. Tank, and J. J. Hutchens. 2001. Long-term patterns of leaf breakdown in streams in response to watershed logging. Internat. Rev. Hydrobiol. 86:467-474.

Harding, J.S., E.F. Benfield, P.V. Bolstad, G.S. Helfman & E.B.D. Jones.1998. Stream Biodiversity: ghost of land-use past.  Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 95:14843-14847.

Sponseller, R.S., E.F. Benfield, and H.M. Valett. 2001. Relationships between land use, spatial scale, and stream macroinvertebrate communities. Freshwater Biology 46:1409-1424.

Sponseller, R. and E.F. Benfield. 2001. Influence of land use on leaf breakdown in southern Appalachian headwater streams: multiple scale analysis. J. North Amer. Benthol. Soc. 20(1):44-59.

Synergistic Activities:
1. Panel Member; Restoring pacific Rivers Conference, Sacramento, California  2000
2. Member, Virginia Riparian Research Team, Virginia Dept of Forestry
3. Member, Virginia Aquatic Gap Analysis Team