About Jefferson's Work
Jefferson Hall is the Director of the Program for Applied Ecology in the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). In this capacity he is leading the effort to develop an Applied Ecology Program across the CTFS plot network. He is also responsible for oversight of PRORENA, a project that studies the ecological and socioeconomic aspects of reforestation in Panama and is a Principal Investigator on the Agua Salud Project, an Ecosystem Services project that is evaluating hydrological, carbon storage, and biodiversity services provided by forests within the Panama Canal Watershed. He has a B.A. from Miami University, MFS and PhD (2002) from Yale University. Jeff has worked in conservation biology and development for over 20 years, almost entirely in Central Africa. His current research focus is related to forest management, including restoration, reforestation, and natural forest management. Recent publications include studies on the ecology of African mahoganies and an evaluation of the ecological impacts of industrial logging in Central Africa. During the mid 1990s Jeff led the first range wide study of the distribution and abundance of Grauer’s gorilla and other large mammals within the gorilla sub specie’s range. Whereas prior to their study the best guess of the number of Grauer’s gorillas surviving within the forests of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo was about 2,500 individuals, Jeff and his colleagues were able to show that there were 17,000 Grauer’s gorillas within the forest. In the late 1980s, he directed a project that led to the creation of a 1.35 million hectare wildlife reserve in what is today northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. As part of the creation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Jeff initiated discussion with local residents and other stakeholders that continues today as part of the zoning program. Before joining the STRI scientific staff in 2006, Jeff served as the Assistant Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Africa Program.