معرفی
Jocelyn Behm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Temple University's College of Science and Technology, where she investigates community assembly in human-dominated landscapes to inform sustainable landscape design. Her research examines how habitat development and invasive species affect species dispersal, habitat selection, and ecological interactions, with fieldwork focused on southeastern Pennsylvania and Caribbean ecosystems using integrated methodologies including field surveys, genetic techniques, and modeling.
Her research program spans multiple critical ecological domains:
- Urban and Landscape Ecology: Quantifying impacts of urbanization on biodiversity and ecosystem services through studies of forest patch quality, urban birds, and green infrastructure.
- Invasive Species Dynamics: Leading research on spotted lanternfly dispersal, monitoring, and management, alongside investigations of exotic reptiles in Caribbean islands.
- Anthropocene Biogeography: Revising island biogeography theory through analysis of human-driven species introductions and extinctions, particularly in insular reptile communities.
- Functional Ecology: Linking species traits to ecosystem processes in decomposition, pest control, and service provision across urban and natural landscapes.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a cohesive research trajectory centered on anthropogenic impacts, with three dominant threads: (1) Invasive species management (particularly spotted lanternfly studies spanning dispersal modeling, oviposition ecology, and computer-aided monitoring); (2) Urban ecosystem services (examining context-dependent benefits from wildlife across spatial scales); and (3) Anthropocene island biogeography (documenting human-accelerated species turnover and its conservation implications). Her work consistently integrates field data with computational approaches across taxonomic groups.
No scientific awards were documented in the provided materials.
Dr. Behm directs the iEcoLab (https://www.iecolab.org), where she mentors students in ecological research while securing external funding for projects spanning urban ecology, invasion biology, and island conservation. Her lab's translational focus bridges fundamental ecological questions with practical applications for sustainable landscape planning, particularly through trait-based approaches to green infrastructure design and invasive species management.
The iEcoLab operates as an interdisciplinary hub conducting field research across southeastern Pennsylvania forests and Caribbean islands (notably Aruba), with current projects examining spotted lanternfly population dynamics, urban bird communities, and non-native herpetofauna. The lab combines traditional ecological methods with innovative technologies including computer vision for individual identification, landscape genetic analyses, and functional trait assessments to address pressing conservation challenges in human-altered environments.
