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Deichmann, Jessica

Deichmann, Jessica

Former Research Biologist

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Deichmann, Jessica

Former Research Biologist

Dr. Jessica L. Deichmann is a researcher with the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation and Sustainability and the Working Land and Seascapes initiative. Her work addresses questions of species and ecosystem resilience in the face of anthropogenic change, with the goal of fostering healthy and productive landscapes and seascapes for the benefit of nature and people. Her research is aimed at quantifying the impacts of energy and infrastructure development and extractive industries on biodiversity and ecosystem function, and developing strategies to mitigate these impacts.

Interests include sustainable development, tropical ecology and biodiversity, conservation and applied science, ecoacoustics and soundscapes, biodiversity monitoring, amphibian biology, and best practices for infrastructure development.

Positions

Geographic Focus

Background And Education

Education And Training

Public Biography

  • At the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Jessica Deichmann conducts research to address questions of species and ecosystem resilience in the face of anthropogenic change. Working closely with partners from a variety of sectors, she aims to identify key environmental and climate challenges created by sustainable infrastructure development and industrial operations in high biodiversity areas. With these in mind, Deichmann and her team use a science-based approach that incorporates traditional biodiversity assessment methods combined with innovative tools (e.g., DNA barcoding, acoustic monitoring, machine learning) to quantify impacts of development operations on biodiversity and ecosystem services and to develop impact mitigation strategies.

    Deichmann and her colleagues take an interdisciplinary conservation and sustainability research approach to problem-solving. They have developed best practices that use technical and nature-based solutions for sustainable ecosystem management to produce co-benefits for nature and people. Examples include the use of natural canopy bridges to mitigate fragmentation of tropical forests, the use of alternative lighting to mitigate the impacts of artificial light at night on wildlife, and the modification of climate change mitigation projects to improve outcomes for biodiversity. Deichmann and her colleagues have also contributed a wealth of new information about the remote areas in which they work and share that knowledge to inform protected-area management plans and decision-making. Working with in-country scientists and field assistants, Deichmann strives to integrate capacity building into all her research programs. 

    Deichmann completed her bachelor's degree in zoology at Colorado State University in 2002, and earned a doctorate in biological sciences at Louisiana State University in 2009. She has conducted research in several countries, including Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Gabon, and Costa Rica. Before beginning her position at the Smithsonian, she worked for the Organization for Tropical Studies in Costa Rica, and then as a research associate with the Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) at Conservation International, where she co-authored a book reviewing the first 20 years of RAP, led field trainings for local university students and conducted rapid assessments of herpetofauna. Deichmann is a member of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, the Society for Conservation Biology, and a founding member of the Women in Nature Network.

Research And Grants

Research Overview

  • With the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation and Sustainability and the Working Land and Seascapes Initiative, Jessica conducts research to address questions of species and ecosystem resilience in the face of anthropogenic change. She partners with stakeholders to carry out projects designed to evaluate effects of land use change in highly biodiverse tropical environments. More specifically, her work aims to quantify the impacts of infrastructure development and extractive activities on biodiversity and ecosystem services and develop mitigation strategies. She does this through the use of traditional biodiversity assessment methods combined with innovative tools, including DNA barcoding and passive acoustic monitoring.

    Dr. Deichmann and her colleagues have contributed a wealth of new knowledge about the remote areas in which they work. They have expanded the known ranges of rare species and discovered new ones, and shared that knowledge with local communities and governments so that proper management plans can be developed. Based on results of their research, her team has made recommendations to national governments and private industry about ways operations can be improved in order to minimize impacts on biodiversity. Working with in-country scientists and field assistants, Jessica strives to integrate capacity building into all of her research programs.

Investigator On

Keywords

  • amphibian biology
  • artificial light at night (ALAN)
  • biodiversity monitoring
  • conservation biology
  • ecoacoustics, soundscape ecology
  • food security
  • impact evaluation
  • sustainable development
  • water security
  • working landscapes and seascapes

Publications

Selected Publications

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