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In jüngerer Vergangenheit erlebt der zumeist auf Michel Foucault zurückgeführte Begriff des 'Dispositivs' – ähnlich wie zuvor der des 'Diskurses' – eine regelrechte Konjunktur in den Geistes-, Sozial- und Kulturwissenschaften. Seine Verwendung weist jedoch eine Reihe von Verkürzungen und Entstellungen auf; so werden damit recht pauschal meist bloß die architekturalen und/oder räumlichen Umstände bzw. Kontexte sozialer, medialer oder anderer Situationen bezeichnet, ohne die für Foucault so wichtigen Fragen nach Wissen, Macht und Subjektivität zu beachten. So gerät der Begriff in Gefahr, seine theoretische und analytische Potenz einzubüßen.
In „Im Dispositiv. Macht, Medium, Wissen“ legt die Autorin daher in einem ersten Schritt eine Präzisierung des Dispositivbegriffs vor, der den zugrundeliegenden Theoriehorizont Foucaults systematisch miteinbezieht. Dazu werden zunächst diskurstheoretische Grundlagen erläutert und anschließend deren strukturelle Analogien zu den machtanalytischen Befunden Foucaults mit Hilfe einer neuen Terminologie sichtbar gemacht.
Vor allem in den Medienwissenschaften ist der Begriff des Dispositivs prominent, um die gesellschaftliche Einbettung von Einzelmedien zu pointieren. Jedoch fällt auf, dass der dort in weiten Teilen vertretene Ansatz, Medien als Dispositive zu verstehen, den Blick auf medienspezifische Eigenlogiken verstellt. In einem zweiten Schritt weist die Autorin daher die strukturellen Analogien von Medialität, Wissen und Macht auf und kommt so zu einem integrativen Dispositivkonzept, das die drei Sphären als dynamisch miteinander verknüpfte, interdependente und reziproke Felder von Kultur modelliert.
Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Fragestellung, wie eine repräsentative und aussagekräftige Vergleichbarkeit hinsichtlich der Nachhaltigkeitsleistung (Ökoeffizienz) von Unternehmen branchenunabhängig gewährleistet werden kann trotz der Problematik der Definition repräsentativer Bewertungskriterien der Nachhaltigkeit, sowie der Heterogenität der zu bewertenden Branchen. Bisherige Konzepte zu Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitsmanagementsystemen (z.B. EMAS, ISO 14000, ISO 26000, EMASplus), zur Umweltleistungsmessung sowie zur Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung und -berichterstattung (z.B. DNK, GRI) sind mit ihren branchenunabhängigen Formulierung zu allgemein gehalten, um für eine konkrete effizienzorientierte Messung nachhaltigen Wirtschaftens von Unternehmen geeignet zu sein.
Folglich besteht kein System zur Messung der Umweltleistung, um den Forschungsbedarf der Herstellung einer aussagekräftigen Vergleichbarkeit der Ressourcen- und Energieverbräuche der Betriebe einer heterogenen Branche zu begegnen. Angesichts dessen wurde im Rahmen der Arbeit eine allgemeine und branchenunabhängig anwendbare aber dennoch –spezifische Methodik zur Herstellung der Vergleichbarkeit von Unternehmen einer Branche hinsichtlich der Ressourcen- und Energieeffizienz entwickelt. Dabei stellt der Kern der Methodik die Generierung eines betriebsindividuellen Gesamtgewichtungsfaktors dar (GGF-Konzept), welcher als Operationalisierung der Vergleichbarkeit angesehen werden kann und damit der Problematik der Heterogenität begegnet. Die Ermittlung von Kriteriengewichtungen im Rahmen des GGF-Konzeptes kann in Analogie zu einem Entscheidungsproblem bei Mehrfachzielsetzung (Multi Criteria Decision Making – MCDM) gesehen werden, da mehrere Kriterien und Sub-Kriterien zueinander in Relation gesetzt werden mussten. Infolgedessen stellte sich der Analytische-Hierarchie-Prozess als das geeignete Verfahren im Rahmen der Methodikentwicklung heraus. Anwendung fand die Methodik in einem ersten empirischen Test anhand einer ausgewählten Stichprobe von 40 Wäschereibetrieben. Dabei zeigten die Ergebnisse auf, dass repräsentatives sowie aussagekräftiges betriebsindividuelles Benchmarking der Ressourcen- und Energieverbräuche völlig unterschiedlicher und bislang nicht vergleichbarer Betriebe möglich wurde. Hierfür mussten zunächst branchenspezifische repräsentative Bewertungskriterien der Ressourcen- und Energieeffizienz bestimmt werden. Abschließend konnten betriebsspezifische Brennpunkte identifiziert und somit Handlungsempfehlungen zur Optimierung der Ressourcen- und Energieeffizienz der Wäschereibetriebe abgeleitet werden, sodass eine zielorientierte Reduzierung des Ressourcen- und Energieverbrauchs folgen kann.
Die (un-)kontrollierte Ausbringung von Abwasser aus der Olivenölproduktion (OMW) kann sich sowohl positiv als auch negativ auf die Bodenqualität auswirken. Dabei stellt unter anderem die Verringerung der Benetzbarkeit des Bodens infolge der Ausbringung ein schwerwiegendes Problem dar. Die Auswirkungen der Ausbringung von Abwässern aus der Olivenölproduktion auf Böden zu charakterisieren und die Mechanismen zu untersuchen, die in Verbindung mit der Veränderung der Qualität der organischen Substanz in Abhängigkeit der klimatischen Bedingungen zu einer verringerten Benetzbarkeit des Bodens führen, war Ziel dieser Arbeit. Zu diesem Zweck wurden in Form einer Screening-Studie die Qualität der organischen Bodensubstanz sowie positive und negative Effekte unkontrollierter Ausbringungen bestimmt. Anschließend wurde ein OMW-behandelter, toniger Lehmboden bei vier unterschiedlichen Bodenfeuchten- und Temperaturen inkubiert und ein Feldexperiment in Israel durchgeführt, um die Auswirkungen der OMW-Ausbringung in Abhängigkeit der klimatischen Bedingungen zu untersuchen. Im Fokus stand dabei die Hypothese, dass unter nass-heißen Bedingungen aufgrund eines zügigen Abbaus der organischen Substanz kaum negative Auswirkungen zu erwarten waren. Zur Überprüfung dieser Hypothese wurden neben allgemeinen Bodenparametern (pH, elektr. Leitfähigkeit, Gesamtkohlenstoff, löslicher organischer Kohlenstoff, spezifische UV-Absorption) phenolische Verbindungen, Kohlenstoffisotopenverhältnis, Wassereindringzeit und Kontaktwinkel sowie thermische Stabilität und Brennwert der labilen und stabilen Kohlenstofffraktion ermittelt.
Zusammenfassend wurde festgestellt, dass die verringerte Benetzbarkeit OMW-behandelter Böden entsprechend dem vorgeschlagenen Mechanismus von den klimatischen Bedingungen und damit dem Ausbringungszeitpunkt abhängt. Unter trocken-heißen Bedingungen war die Benetzbarkeit des Bodens sowohl im Feld als auch im Labor am stärksten beeinträchtigt. Die thermische Analyse zeigt, dass hierfür wahrscheinlich Substanzen der stabilen Kohlenstofffraktion mit erhöhtem Brennwert verantwortlich sind. Mit höherer Temperatur und insbesondere höherer Bodenfeuchte wurde ein zunehmender Abbau der organischen Substanz des OMW in Verbindung mit einer verbesserten Benetzbarkeit beobachtet. Jedoch kann eine zu intensive Bewässerung oder starker Niederschlag, z.B. im Winter, zu einer Auswaschung von phenolischen Inhaltsstoffen des OMW führen, welche eine Gefährdung des Grundwassers darstellen können.
Gleichzeitig hat eine Ausbringung positive Effekte auf den Boden, z.B. durch Zufuhr organischer und anorganischer Nährstoffe. Aufgrund der Ergebnisse stellt die kontrollierte Ausbringung von OMW eine alternative, kostengünstige und nachhaltige Abfallverwendung in Form von Dünger dar. Jedoch sollte, anstatt des bisherigen Ausbringungszeitraumes Winter, das OMW gelagert und erst nach dem letzten Niederschlag am besten unter regelmäßiger Bewässerung ausgebracht werden, um negative Auswirkungen auf den Boden zu vermeiden und von den positiven Effekten zu profitieren.
The largest population of the anadromous Allis shad (A. alosa) of the 19th century was found in River Rhine and has to be considered extinct today. To facilitate the return of A. alosa into River Rhine an EU LIFE-project was initiated in 2007. The overall objective of this thesis was to assist aquaculture and stocking-measures at River Rhine, as well as to support restoration and conservation of populations of Allis shad in Europe.
By culturing the free-swimming nematode T. aceti in a solution of cider vinegar we developed a cost-effective live food organism for the larviculture of fish. As indicated by experiments with C. maraena, T. aceti cannot be regarded as an alternative to Artemia nauplii. However it has to be considered a suitable supplemental feed in the early rearing of C. maraena by providing essential fatty acids, thereby optimizing growth.
Also mass-marking practices with Oxytetracycline, as they are applied in the restocking of Allis shad have been evaluated. In experiments with D. rerio we demonstrated that water hardness can detrimentally affect mortality during marking and has to be considered crucial in the development of marking protocols for freshwater fish.
In order to get independent from wild spawners an ex-situ Broodstock-facility for Allis shad was established in 2011. Upon examination of two complete year classes of this broodstock, we found a high prevalence of various malformations, which could be traced back to distinct cysts developing one month post hatch. Despite applying a variety of clinical tests we could not identify any infectious agents causing these malformations. The observed malformations are probably a consequence of suboptimal feeding practices or the properties of the physio-chemical rearing environment.
The decline of stocks of A. alosa in Europe has been largely explained with the increase of river temperatures as a consequence of global warming. By investigating the temperature physiology of larval Allis shad we demonstrated that A. alosa ranges among the most thermo-tolerant species in Europe and that correlations between rising temperatures and the disappearance of this species have to be understood in a synecological context and by integrating a variety of stressors other than temperature. By capturing and examining juvenile and adult Allis shad from River Rhine, we demonstrated the first natural reproduction of A. alosa in River Rhine since nearly 100 years and the success of stocking measures within the framework of the LIFE project.
The establishment of aquatic alien species can strongly affect community and food web structure of the invaded systems and thus represents a major threat to native biodiversity. One of the most important aquatic invasive species in European rivers is the Ponto-Caspian amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus. The species invaded most of the major European waterways within two decades, often associated with a decline of many other macroinvertebrate species, including other amphipods. Based on laboratory results predation by the so called ‘killer shrimp’ is often regarded as the key driver for observed displacement effects, but recent studies indicated a minor relevance of predation by D. villosus in the field. To allow the determination of exact predator-prey interactions from field samples, I established 22 group-specific rDNA primers for freshwater taxa suitable for prey species identification in dietary samples (Chapter II) and an approach for the screening of D. villosus gut contents using 16 of these primers. Combining genetic gut content analyses, with one of these primers, and stable isotope analyses, I examined the importance of intraguild predation (IGP) by D. villosus, which is often assumed the key driver for the displacement of native amphipod species, at an invasion front of the species in Switzerland (Chapter III). The results of this study revealed a low importance of IGP during this particular D. villosus invasion and indicated an overall sparsely predacious feeding behaviour of the species. As the feeding behaviour of D. villosus is supposed to differ between habitats and this study was only conducted at a few sampling sites of one river, I also investigated the role of predation by D. villosus at multiple sites of the River Rhine system, covering a broad range of microhabitats (Chapter IV). In keeping with the results from the invasion front results of this study strongly indicated a sparsely predacious feeding but rather a flexible feeding behaviour of D. villosus even within the same microhabitat.
However, established populations of D. villosus have changed aquatic food webs and can be expected to affect aquatic-terrestrial energy fluxes. In Chapter V of my thesis, I present a field study investigating the impact of D. villosus on the diet of two riparian spider taxa. The results of this study indicate an effect of D. villosus on the terrestrial food web via cross-ecosystem resource flow.
In conclusion, D. villosus influences terrestrial food webs by altering cross-ecosystem resource fluxes, but it is rather an opportunistic omnivore than a predator in the field.
While reading this sentence, you probably gave (more or less deliberately) instructions to approximately 100 to 200 muscles of your body. A sceptical face or a smile, your fingers scrolling through the text or holding a printed version of this work, holding your head, sitting, and much more.
All these processes take place almost automatically, so they seem to be no real achievement. In the age of digitalization it is a defined goal to transfer human (psychological and physiological) behavior to machines (robots). However, it turns out that it is indeed laborious to obtain human facial expression or walking from robots. To optimize this transfer, a deeper understanding of a muscle's operating principle is needed (and of course an understanding of the human brain, which will, however, not be part of this thesis).
A human skeletal muscle can be shortened willingly, but not lengthened, thereto it takes an antagonist. The muscle's change in length is dependent on the incoming stimulus from the central nervous system, the current length of the muscle itself, and certain muscle--specific quantities (parameters) such as the maximum force. Hence, a muscle can be mathematically described by a differential equation (or more exactly a coupled differential--algebraic system, DAE), whose structure will be revealed in the following chapters. The theory of differential equations is well-elaborated. A multitude of applicable methods exist that may not be known by muscle modelers. The purpose of this work is to link the methods from applied mathematics to the actual application in biomechanics.
The first part of this thesis addresses stability theory. Let us remember the prominent example from middle school physics, in which the resting position of a ball was obviously less susceptible towards shoves when lying in a bowl rather than balancing at the tip of a hill. Similarly, a dynamical (musculo-skeletal) system can attain equilibrium states that react differently towards perturbations.
We are going to compute and classify these equilibria.
In the second part, we investigate the influence of individual parameters on model equations or more exactly their solutions. This method is known as sensitivity analysis.
Take for example the system "car" containing a value for the quantity "pressure on the break pedal while approaching a traffic light". A minor deviation of this quantity upward or downward may lead to an uncomfortable, abrupt stop or even to a collision, instead of a smooth stop with a sufficient gap.
The considered muscle model contains over 20 parameters that, if changed slightly, have varying effects on the model equation solutions at different instants of time. We will investigate the sensitivity of those parameters regarding different sub--models, as well as the whole model among different dynamical boundary conditions.
The third and final part addresses the \textit{optimal control} problem (OCP).
The muscle turns a nerve impulse (input or control) into a length change and therefore a force response (output). This forward process is computable by solving the respective DAE. The reverse direction is more difficult to manage. As an everyday example, the OCP is present regarding self-parking cars, where a given path is targeted and the controls are the position of the
steering wheel as well as the gas pedal.
We present two methods of solving OCPs in muscle modeling: the first is a conjunction of variational calculus and optimization in function spaces, the second is a surrogate-based optimization.
In Part I: "The flow-decomposition problem", we introduce and discuss the flow-decomposition problem. Given a flow F, this problem consists of decomposing the flow into a set of paths optimizing specific properties of those paths. We introduce different types of decompositions, such as integer decompositions and alpha-decompositions, and provide two formulations of the set of feasible decompositions.
We show that the problem of minimizing the longest path in a decomposition is NP-hard, even for fractional solutions. Then we develop an algorithm based on column generation which is able to solve the problem.
Tight upper bounds on the optimal objective value help to improve the performance.
To find upper bounds on the optimal solution for the shortest longest path problem, we develop several heuristics and analyze their quality. On pearl graphs we prove a constant approximation ratio of 2 and 3 respectively for all heuristics. A numerical study on random pearl graphs shows that the solutions generated by the heuristics are usually much better than this worst-case bound.
In Part II: "Construction and analysis of evacuation models using flows over time", we consider two optimization models in the context of evacuation planning. The first model is a parameter-based quickest flow model with time-dependent supply values. We give a detailed description of the network construction and of how different scenarios are modeled by scenario parameters. In a second step we analyze the effect of the scenario parameters on the evacuation time. Understanding how the different parameters influence the evacuation time allows us to provide better advice for evacuation planning and allows us to predict evacuation times without solving additional optimization problems. To understand the effect of the time-dependent supply values, we consider the quickest path problem with time-dependent supply values and provide a solution algorithm. The results from this consideration are generalized to approximate the behavior of the evacuation times in the context of quickest flow problems.
The second model we consider is a path-based model for evacuation in the presence of a dynamic cost function. We discuss the challenges of this model and provide ideas for how to approach the problem from different angles. We relate the problem to the flow-decomposition problem and consider the computation of evacuation paths with dynamic costs for large capacities. For the latter method we provide heuristics to find paths and compare them to the optimal solutions by applying the methods to two evacuation scenarios. An analysis shows that the paths generated by the heuristic yield close to optimal solutions and in addition have several desirable properties for evacuation paths which are not given for the optimal solution.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden gamebasierte touristische Anwendungen untersucht.
Ausgehend von der These, dass für touristisches Freizeiterleben primär intrinsisch motivierende Anwendungen geeignet sind, werden zunächst intrinsische Motivationskonzepte untersucht. Dazu wird untersucht, wie Motivation gezielt herbeigeführt werden kann und ob sich gamebasierte Motivationskonzepte auf nichtspielerische Anwendungen übertragen lassen.
Darauf aufbauend wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit verschiedene touristische Anwendungen entwickelt und evaluiert. Ziel dieser Anwendungen ist es stets, einen Mehrwert für das touristische Freizeiterleben zu erzeugen. Die Anwendungen werden nach ihrer Mobilität kategorisiert. Es werden vollständig mobile, vollständig stationäre und hybride Systeme untersucht. Als Mehrwertkomponenten werden in dieser Arbeit spielbasierte Exploration einer Umgebung, Wissensvermittlung und soziale Interaktion zwischen Touristen untersucht.
Abschließend wird ein Autorentool für spielbasierte touristische Touren auf Smartphones entwickelt und untersucht, das seinerseits auf spielbasierte Elemente zurückgreift. Das Ziel dieses Systems ist es, Konzepte zu entwickeln, die beispielsweise eine Integration in soziale Netzwerke erlauben.
In the new epoch of Anthropocene, global freshwater resources are experiencing extensive degradation from a multitude of stressors. Consequently, freshwater ecosystems are threatened by a considerable loss of biodiversity as well as substantial decrease in adequate and secured freshwater supply for human usage, not only on local scales, but also on regional to global scales. Large scale assessments of human and ecological impacts of freshwater degradation enable an integrated freshwater management as well as complement small scale approaches. Geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial statistics (SS) have shown considerable potential in ecological and ecotoxicological research to quantify stressor impacts on humans and ecological entitles, and disentangle the relationships between drivers and ecological entities on large scales through an integrated spatial-ecological approach. However, integration of GIS and SS with ecological and ecotoxicological models are scarce and hence the large scale spatial picture of the extent and magnitude of freshwater stressors as well as their human and ecological impacts is still opaque. This Ph.D. thesis contributes novel GIS and SS tools as well as adapts and advances available spatial models and integrates them with ecological models to enable large scale human and ecological impacts identification from freshwater degradation. The main aim was to identify and quantify the effects of stressors, i.e climate change and trace metals, on the freshwater assemblage structure and trait composition, and human health, respectively, on large scales, i.e. European and Asian freshwater networks. The thesis starts with an introduction to the conceptual framework and objectives (chapter 1). It proceeds with outlining two novel open-source algorithms for quantification of the magnitude and effects of catchment scale stressors (chapter 2). The algorithms, i.e. jointly called ATRIC, automatically select an accumulation threshold for stream network extraction from digital elevation models (DEM) by assuring the highest concordance between DEM-derived and traditionally mapped stream networks. Moreover, they delineate catchments and upstream riparian corridors for given stream sampling points after snapping them to the DEM-derived stream network. ATRIC showed similar or better performance than the available comparable algorithms, and is capable of processing large scale datasets. It enables an integrated and transboundary management of freshwater resources by quantifying the magnitude of effects of catchment scale stressors. Spatially shifting temporal points (SSTP), outlined in chapter 3, estimates pooled within-time series (PTS) variograms by spatializing temporal data points and shifting them. Data were pooled by ensuring consistency of spatial structure and temporal stationarity within a time series, while pooling sufficient number of data points and increasing data density for a reliable variogram estimation. SSTP estimated PTS variograms showed higher precision than the available method. The method enables regional scale stressors quantification by filling spatial data gaps integrating temporal information in data scarce regions. In chapter 4, responses of the assumed climate-associated traits from six grouping features to 35 bioclimatic indices for five insect orders were compared, their potential for changing distribution pattern under future climate change was evaluated and the most influential climatic aspects were identified (chapter 4). Traits of temperature preference grouping feature and the insect order Ephemeroptera exhibited the strongest response to climate as well as the highest potential for changing distribution pattern, while seasonal radiation and moisture were the most influential climatic aspects that may drive a change in insect distribution pattern. The results contribute to the trait based freshwater monitoring and change prediction. In chapter 5, the concentrations of 10 trace metals in the drinking water sources were predicted and were compared with guideline values. In more than 53% of the total area of Pakistan, inhabited by more than 74 million people, the drinking water was predicted to be at risk from multiple trace metal contamination. The results inform freshwater management by identifying potential hot spots. The last chapter (6) synthesizes the results and provides a comprehensive discussion on the four studies and on their relevance for freshwater resources conservation and management.
Global crop production increased substantially in recent decades due to agricultural intensification and expansion and today agricultural areas occupy about 38% of Earth’s terrestrial surface - the largest use of land on the planet. However, current high-intensity agricultural practices fostered in the context of the Green Revolution led to serious consequences for the global environment. Pesticides, in particular, are highly biologically active substances that can threaten the ecological integrity of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Although the global pesticide use increases steadily, our field-data based knowledge regarding exposure of non-target ecosystems such as surface waters is very restricted. Available studies have by now been limited to spatially restricted geographical areas or had rather specific objectives rendering the extrapolation to larger spatial scales questionable.
Consequently, this thesis evaluated based on four scientific publications the exposure, effects, and regulatory implications of particularly toxic insecticides` concentrations detected in global agricultural surface waters. FOCUS exposure modelling was used to characterise the highly specific insecticide exposure patterns and to analyse the resulting implications for both monitoring and risk assessment (publication I). Based on more than 200,000 scientific database entries, 838 peer-reviewed studies finally included, and more than 2,500 sites in 73 countries, the risks of agricultural insecticides to global surface waters were analysed by means of a comprehensive meta-analysis (publication II). This meta-analysis evaluated whether insecticide field concentrations exceed legally accepted regulatory threshold levels (RTLs) derived from official EU and US pesticide registration documents and, amongst others, how risks depend on insecticide development over time and stringency of environmental regulation. In addition, an in-depth analysis of the current EU pesticide regulations provided insights into the level of protection and field relevance of highly elaborated environmental regulatory risk assessment schemes (publications III and IV).
The results of this thesis show that insecticide surface water exposure is characterized by infrequent and highly transient concentration peaks of high ecotoxicological relevance. We thus argue in publication I that sampling based on regular intervals is inadequate for the detection of insecticide surface water concentrations and that traditional risk assessment concepts based on all insecticide concentrations including non-detects lead to severely biased results and critical underestimations of risks. Based on these considerations, publication II demonstrates that out of 11,300 measured insecticide concentrations (MICs; i.e., those actually detected and quantified), 52.4% (5,915 cases; 68.5%) exceeded the RTL for either water (RTLSW) or sediments. This indicates a substantial risk for the biological integrity of global water resources as additional analyses on pesticide effects in the field clearly evidence that the regional aquatic biodiversity is reduced by approximately 30% at pesticide concentrations equalling the RTLs. In addition, publication II shows that there is a complete lack of scientific monitoring data for ~90% of global cropland and that both the actual insecticide contamination of surface waters and the resulting ecological risks are most likely even greater due to, for example, inadequate sampling methods employed in the studies and the common occurrence of pesticide mixtures. A linear model analysis identified that RTLSW exceedances depend on the catchment size, sampling regime, sampling date, insecticide substance class, and stringency of countries` environmental regulations, as well as on the interactions of these factors. Importantly, the risks are significantly higher for newer-generation insecticides (i.e., pyrethroids) and are high even in countries with stringent environmental regulations. Regarding the latter, an analysis of the EU pesticide regulations revealed critical deficiencies and the lack of protectiveness and field-relevance for current presumed highly elaborated FOCUS exposure assessment (publication IV) and overall risk assessment schemes (publication III). Based on these findings, essential risk assessment amendments are proposed.
In essence, this thesis analyses the agriculture–environment linkages for pesticides at the global scale and it thereby contributes to a new research frontier in global ecotoxicology. The overall findings substantiate that agricultural insecticides are potential key drivers for the global freshwater biodiversity crisis and that the current regulatory risk assessment approaches for highly toxic anthropogenic chemicals fail to protect the global environment. This thesis provides an integrated view on the environmental side effects of global high-intensity agriculture and alerts that beside worldwide improvements to current pesticide regulations and agricultural pesticide application practices, the fundamental reformation of conventional agricultural systems is urgently needed to meet the twin challenges of providing sufficient food for a growing human population without destroying the ecological integrity of global ecosystems essential to human existence.