Scientist

Faculty of Biology
Aquatic Ecology
Universitätsstrasse 5
D-45141 Essen
Germany

Room S05T03B12
Phone: +49.201.18.33218
Fax: +49.201.18.32179
christian.schuerings@uni-due.de

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PhD thesis: Effects of agriculutal land use types on the ecological status of freshwater ecosystems in Germany: A large scale analysis of Cause-Effect Relations

Agricultural land use has been impacting rivers and streams through a variety of degradation factors, such as chemical pollution and alterations to watercourse morphology. Statistical analyses reveal a significant correlation between the proportion of agricultural land and the ecological condition of water bodies. In Germany, less than 10 % of flowing waters exhibit a ecological good status under the Water Framework Directive. Identifying agricultural practices with varying degrees of influence on water body conditions is of paramount importance for the protection, development, and implementation of the Water Framework Directive. In recent years, comprehensive data sources have emerged that allow for a more detailed examination of the relationship between agricultural land use and ecological water body conditions compared to previous studies. This presents a great opportunity for in depth analysis of this relationship.

My doctoral research is supported by a scholarship from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (https://www.dbu.de/). First, the aim is to ascertain whether the global impact of agriculture is consistently negative and to identify the factors influencing agricultural effects. Furthermore, agriculture is not homogenous, thus a typology of agricultural practices linked to freshwater impacts can be developed to enhance understanding of the pathways of agricultural stress. This typology has the potential to deepen the understanding of underlying agricultural burdens. A thorough analysis of the varied effects among different agricultural crop types can provide insight into cause-and-effect relationships, thereby aiding in the identification of pivotal stressors and facilitating targeted mitigation measures. Exploring the interrelationships between agricultural land use and biotic responses can be further enhanced by correlating land use types with micro pollutants in water bodies, allowing for the differentiation of agricultural sources from other contributors like urban areas. Lastly, the investigation of the specific effects of agricultural cultivation intensity across diverse crop types, based on varying rates of agrochemical application, can pave the way for more environmentally sustainable and enduring agricultural measures.