Filtern
Erscheinungsjahr
Dokumenttyp
- Dissertation (245)
- Masterarbeit (90)
- Ausgabe (Heft) zu einer Zeitschrift (84)
- Bachelorarbeit (45)
- Diplomarbeit (27)
- Wissenschaftlicher Artikel (12)
- Studienarbeit (11)
- Konferenzveröffentlichung (10)
- Habilitation (4)
- Sonstiges (2)
Sprache
- Englisch (532) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
- Pestizid (8)
- Pflanzenschutzmittel (6)
- Software Engineering (6)
- Internet of Things (5)
- Biodiversität (4)
- Bluetooth (4)
- Bodenchemie (4)
- Landwirtschaft (4)
- Semantic Web (4)
- ecotoxicology (4)
Institut
- Fachbereich 4 (115)
- Institut für Informatik (81)
- Fachbereich 7 (78)
- Institut für Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungsinformatik (53)
- Institut für Computervisualistik (52)
- Institute for Web Science and Technologies (49)
- Institut für Management (30)
- Institut für Integrierte Naturwissenschaften, Abt. Biologie (23)
- Institut für Umweltwissenschaften (23)
- Fachbereich 8 (20)
The growing numbers of breeding rooks (Corvus frugilegus) in the city of Landau (Rhineland- Palatinate, Germany) increase the potential for conflict between rooks and humans, which is mainly associated with noise and faeces. Therefore, the aim of this work is a better understanding of the breeding tree selection of the rook in order to develop options for action and management in the future.
Part I of this thesis provides general background information on the rook and includes mapping of the rookeries in the Anterior Palatinate and South Palatinate including Landau in the year 2020. That mapping revealed that the number of rural colonies has decreased, while the number of urban colonies has increased in the study area in the last few years. In line with current literature, tree species and tree size were important criteria for breeding tree selection. However, the mapping showed that additional factors must be important as well.
Therefore, as rooks seem to often breed along traffic axes, Part II of this thesis examines how temperature, artificial light and noise, which are all linked to traffic axes, affect the breeding tree selection of the rook in the city of Landau. The following three hypotheses are developed: (1) manually selected breeding trees (Bm) have a warmer microclimate than manually selected non-breeding trees (Nm) or randomly selected non-breeding trees (Nr), (2) Bm are exposed to a higher light level than Nm or Nr and (3) Bm are exposed to a higher noise level than Nm or Nr. To test these hypotheses, 15 Bm, 13 Nm and 16 Nr are investigated.
The results show that Bm were exposed to more noise than both types of non-breeding trees (μBm, noise = 36.52481 dB, μNm, noise = 31.27229 dB, μNr, noise = 29.17417 dB) where the difference between Bm and Nr was significant. In addition, there was a tendency for Bm to be exposed to less light (μBm, light = 0.356 lx) than Nm (μNm, light = 0.4107692 lx) and significantly less light than Nr (μNr, light = 1.995 lx), while temperature did not differ between the groups (μBm, temp = 16.90549 °C, μNm, temp = 16.93118 °C, μNr, temp = 17.28639 °C).
This study shows for the first time that rooks prefer trees which are exposed to low light levels and high noise levels, i.e. more intense traffic noise, for breeding. It can only be speculated that the cause of this is lower enemy pressure at such sites. The fact that temperature does not seem to have any influence on breeding tree selection may be due to only small temperature differences at nest height, which might be compensated by breeding behaviour. Consequently, in the long term one management approach could be to divert traffic from inner-city areas, especially schools and hospitals, to bypasses. If tree genera suitable for rooks, such as plane trees, are planted along the bypasses, those sites could provide suitable alternative habitats to inner-city breeding locations, which become less attractive for breeding due to noise reduction. In the short term in addition to locally implemented repellent measures the most effective approach is to strengthen rook acceptance among the population. However, further research is needed to verify the results of this thesis and to gain further insights into rook breeding site selection in order to develop effective management measures.
Background. Agricultural plastic mulches offer great benefits such as higher yields and lower pesticide use. Yet, plastic mulches may disintegrate over time and fragment into smaller debris. Such plastic debris is expected to remain in the field after removal of the plastic mulch and thus contributes to soil contamination with plastics.
Method. To investigate this, we collected soil samples at 0–10 cm and 10–40 cm depth from three fields covered with black mulch film for three consecutive years. Three fields without any reported plastic use served as control. Visual plastic debris > 1 cm (macroplastics) was collected from the soil surface. Mesoplastics between 2 mm and 1 cm were density separated from the sampled soil using saturated NaCl solution and analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Debris ≤ 2 mm (microplastics) was dispersed from 50 g soil using sodium hexametaphosphate solution followed by the aforementioned density separation. The separated polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) were quantified via solvent-based pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py–GC/MS).
Results. With 89–206 fragments ha−1, the majority of macroplastics were located in fields previously covered with mulch films. 80% of the collected specimen were identified as black PE film. The number of mesoplastics in plastic-mulched soil was 2.3 particles kg−1, while only 1.0 particles kg−1 were found in the reference fields. Py–GC/MS revealed microplastic levels of up to 13 mg kg−1. The PE content was significantly higher in plastic-mulched fields than in reference fields.
Discussion. Although the identified plastic levels are lower than those reported in comparable studies, our results still suggest that plastic mulching functions as a source of plastic debris in agricultural systems. Due to its severely restricted degradability, these plastics are likely to accumulate in soil in the long term and further fragment into smaller and smaller debris.
Intensivierung der Landwirtschaft führt weltweit zu einem fortschreitenden Verlust der biologischen Vielfalt in Agrarlandschaften. Die daraus resultierende Homogenität der Landschaft, die mit der Ausweitung von Monokulturflächen und dem Verlust naturnaher Lebensräume einhergeht, hat schwerwiegende Auswirkungen auf Arthropoden in Agrarlandschaften. Während Ackerflächen aufgrund intensiver und häufiger Störungen für viele Arten ungeeignete Habitate darstellen, können naturnahe Lebensräume in Agrarökosystemen als wichtige Rückzugsflächen fungieren. Die Erschaffung von naturnahen Lebensräumen durch Agrarumweltmaßnahmen in intensiven Agrarlandschaften, wie der Maifelder Agrarlandschaft in Westdeutschland, sollen den negativen Auswirkungen der landwirtschaftlichen Intensivierung entgegenwirken. Allerdings ist die Wirksamkeit dieser Maßnahmen für den Artenschutz noch umstritten. Aus diesem Grund wird in dieser Arbeit die Artenvielfalt der Käfer (Coleoptera) und Spinnen (Araneida) auf Weizenfeldern und verschiedenen naturnahen Lebensräumen (grasbewachsene Feldränder angrenzend an Weizen- und Rapsfelder; klein- und großflächige, mit Wildblumenmischungen eingesäte, Stilllegungsflächen; dauerhafte Grünlandbrachen) miteinander verglichen. Hierfür wurden die Arthropoden in den Jahren 2019 und 2020 mit Bodenfallen und Saugproben erfasst. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Landnutzung die Käfer- und Spinnendiversität im Untersuchungsgebiet beeinflusst, mit einer deutlich höheren Artenvielfalt auf den Grünlandbrachen als auf den Weizenfeldern. Überraschenderweise bestanden zwischen allen naturnahen Lebensräumen nur geringe Unterschiede, jedoch beherbergten sie unterschiedliche Artengemeinschaften. Hier unterschieden sich vor allem die Käfer- und Spinnengemeinschaften der großflächigen Grünlandbrachen deutlich von allen anderen untersuchten Landnutzungstypen. Insbesondere für Habitatspezialisten und gefährdete Arten stellten die Grünlandbrachen wichtige Lebensräume dar, wahrscheinlich aufgrund ihrer variablen Bodenfeuchtigkeit und komplexen Lebensraumstruktur. Im Gegensatz dazu wiesen Weizenfelder homogene Arthropodengemeinschaften mit einem geringeren Merkmalsreichtum auf und wurden von einigen wenigen räuberischen Arten dominiert, die sich an derartig intensive Lebensräume angepasst haben. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass sich alle Schutzmaßnahmen ergänzen, indem sie auf unterschiedliche Weise zur Förderung der Käfer und Spinnen auf landwirtschaftlichen Flächen beitragen können. Selbst kleinflächige naturnahe Lebensräume und bestehende Habitatgrenzen in einer landwirtschaftlichen Matrix scheinen wertvolle Lebensräume für Arthropoden in Agrarökosystemen darzustellen, indem sie zur Erhöhung der taxonomischen Vielfalt beitragen. Feldränder und kleine, mit Wildblumen eingesäte Flächen, können isolierte naturnahe Lebensräume miteinander verbinden und zu einer heterogenen Agrarlandschaft beitragen. Folglich führt eine Kombination verschiedener klein- und großflächiger Begrünungsmaßnahmen zu einer erhöhten Landschaftsheterogenität, die sich wiederum positiv auf die Käfer- und Spinnenvielfalt auswirkt. In Anbetracht des weltweit anhaltenden Verlustes der Artenvielfalt in Agrarlandschaften, sollten Agrarumweltmaßnahmen in Zukunft gefördert werden, da sie für den Arthropodenschutz in intensiven Agrarlandschaften, wie im Maifeld, besonders bedeutsam sind.
Diet-related effects of antimicrobials in aquatic decomposer-shredder and periphyton-grazer systems
(2022)
Leaf-associated microbial decomposers as well as periphyton serve as important food sources for detritivorous and herbivorous macroinvertebrates (shredders and grazers) in streams. Shredders and grazers, in turn, provide not only collectors with food but also serve as prey for predators. Therefore, decomposer-shredder and periphyton-grazer systems (here summarized as freshwater biofilm-consumer systems) are highly important for the energy and nutrient supply in heterotrophic and autotrophic stream food webs. However, both systems can be affected by chemical stressors, amongst which antimicrobials (e.g., antibiotics, fungicides and algaecides) are of particular concern. Antimicrobials can impair shredders and grazers not only via waterborne exposure (waterborne effect pathway) but also through dietary exposure and microorganism-mediated alterations in the food quality of their diet (dietary effect pathway). Even though the relevance of the latter pathway received more attention in recent years, little is known about the mechanisms that are responsible for the observed effects in shredders and grazers. Therefore, the first objective of this thesis was to broaden the knowledge of indirect antimicrobial effects in a model shredder and grazer via the dietary pathway. Moreover, although freshwater biofilm-consumer systems are most likely exposed to antimicrobial mixtures comprised of different stressor groups, virtually nothing is known of these mixture effects in both systems. Therefore, the second objective was to assess and predict diet-related antimicrobial mixture effects in a model freshwater biofilm-consumer system. During this thesis, positive diet-related effects of a model antibiotic on the energy processing and physiology of the shredder Gammarus fossarum were observed. They were probably triggered by shifts in the leaf-associated microbial community in favor of aquatic fungi that increased the food quality of leaves for the shredder. Contrary to that, a model fungicide induced negative effects on the energy processing of G. fossarum via the dietary pathway, which can be explained by negative impacts on the microbial decomposition efficiency leading to a reduced food quality of leaf litter for gammarids. For diet-related antimicrobial effects in periphyton-grazer systems, a model algaecide altered the periphyton community composition by increasing nutritious and palatable algae. This resulted in an enhanced consumption and physiological fitness of the grazer Physella acuta. Finally, it was shown that complex horizontal interactions among leaf-associated microorganisms are involved, making diet-related antimicrobial mixture effects in the shredder G. fossarum difficult to predict. Thus, this thesis provides new insights into indirect diet-related effects of antimicrobials on shredders and grazers as well as demonstrates uncertainties of antimicrobial mixture effect predictions for freshwater biofilm-consumer systems. Moreover, the findings in this thesis are not only informative for regulatory authorities, as indirect effects and effects of mixtures across chemical classes are not considered in the environmental risk assessment of chemical substances, but also stimulate future research to close knowledge gaps identified during this work.
Remote Working Study 2022
(2022)
The Remote Working Study 2022 is focused on the transition to work from home (WFH) triggered by the stay at home directives of 2020. These directives required employees to work in their private premises wherever possible to reduce the transmission of the coronavirus. The study, conducted by the Center for Enterprise Information Research (CEIR) at the University of Koblenz from December 2021 to January 2022, explores the transition to remote working.
The objective of the survey is to collect baseline information about organisations’ remote work experiences during and immediately following the COVID-19 lockdowns. The survey was completed by the key persons responsible for the implementation and/or management of the digital workplace in 19 German and Swiss organisations.
The data presented in this report was collected from member organisations of the IndustryConnect initiative. IndustryConnect is a university-industry research programme that is coordinated by researchers from the University of Koblenz. It focuses on research in the areas of the digital workplace and enterprise collaboration technologies, and facilitates the generation of new research insights and the exchange of experiences among user companies.
To render the surface of a material capable of withstanding mechanical and electrochemical loads, and to perform well in service, the deposition of a thin film or coating is a solution. In this project, such a thin film deposition is carried out. The coating material chosen is titanium nitride (TiN) which is a ceramic material known to possess a high hardness (>10 GPa) as well as good corrosion resistance. The method of deposition selected is high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) that results in coatings with high quality and enhanced properties. Sputtering is a physical process that represents the removal or dislodgment of surface atoms by energetic particle bombardment. The term magnetron indicates that a magnetic field is utilized to increase the efficiency of the sputtering process. In HiPIMS, a high power is applied in pulses of low duty cycles to a cathode that is sputtered and that consists of the coating material. As result of the high power, the ionization of the sputtered material takes place giving the possibility to control these species with electric and magnetic field allowing thereby the improvement and tuning of coating properties. However, the drawback of HiPIMS is a low deposition rate.
In this project, it is demonstrated first that it is possible to deposit TiN coating using HiPIMS with an optimized deposition rate, by varying the magnetic field strength. It was found that low magnetic field strength (here 22mT) results in a deposition rate similar to that of conventional magnetron sputtering in which the average power is applied continuously, called also direct current magnetron sputtering (dcMS). The high deposition rate at low magnetic field strength was attributed to a reduction in the back attraction probability of the sputtered species. The magnetic field strength did not show noticeable influence on the mechanical properties. The proposed explanation was that the considered peak current density interval 1.22-1.72 A∙cm-2 does not exhibit dramatic changes in the plasma dynamics.
In a second part, using the optimized deposition rate, the optimized chemical composition of TiN was determined. It was shown that the chemical composition of TiN does not significantly influence the corrosion performance but impacts considerably the mechanical properties. It was also shown that the corrosion resistance of the coatings deposited using HiPIMS was higher than that of the coatings deposited using dcMS.
The third study was the effect of annealing post deposition on the properties of TiN coating deposited using HiPIMS. The hardness of the coatings showed a maximum at 400°C reaching 24.8 GPa. Above 400°C however, a lowering of the hardness was measured and was due to the oxidation of TiN which led to the formation of TiN-TiO2 composites with lower mechanical properties.
The coating microscopic properties such as crystal orientation, residual stresses, average grain size were determined from X-ray diffraction data and the roughness was measured using atomic force microscopy. These properties were found to vary with the magnetic field strength, the chemical composition as well as the annealing temperature.
Der Zweck dieser Arbeit ist es, sich auf die kritischen Forschungsherausforderungen und -themen zu konzentrieren, die UI/UX-Designprinzipien umgeben, mit einem Schwerpunkt auf kulturübergreifenden Konzepten aus der Perspektive von E-Learning-Plattformen. Zu diesem Zweck betrachten wir zunächst die kulturellen Dimensionen auf der Grundlage des Hofstede-Rahmens mit dem Ziel, wichtige kulturelle Werte zu identifizieren. Als zweites Ziel der Forschung erleichtert eine Reihe von Kriterien, die so genannte Usability-Heuristik von Nielsen, die Erkennung von Usability Problemen bei der Gestaltung von Benutzeroberflächen (UI). Die Usability-Heuristiken umfassen zehn Variablen, die die Interaktion zwischen dem Benutzer und einem Produkt oder System beeinflussen. Wenn wir uns näher mit
diesen Themen befassen, werden wir in der Lage sein, eine Matrix mit Beziehungen zwischen der heuristischen Bewertung von Nielsen und dem kulturellen Rahmen von Geert Hofstede aufzudecken. Abschließend erörtern wir das mögliche Potenzial kultureller Werte zur Beeinflussung von Benutzeroberflächen für E-Learning-Plattformen. In der Tat gibt es einige Funktionen in E-Learning-Plattformen, die aufgrund der Kultur weniger diskutiert werden, obwohl sie sehr praktisch in die Plattformen integriert werden können.
The use of agricultural plastic covers has become common practice for its agronomic benefits such as improving yields and crop quality, managing harvest times better, and increasing pesticide and water use efficiency. However, plastic covers are suspected of partially breaking down into smaller debris and thereby contributing to soil pollution with microplastics. A better understanding of the sources and fate of plastic debris in terrestrial systems has so far been hindered by the lack of adequate analytical techniques for the mass-based and polymer-selective quantification of plastic debris in soil. The aim of this dissertation was thus to assess, develop, and validate thermoanalytical methods for the mass-based quantification of relevant polymers in and around agricultural fields previously covered with fleeces, perforated foils, and plastic mulches. Thermogravimetry/mass spectrometry (TGA/MS) enabled direct plastic analyses of 50 mg of soil without any sample preparation. With polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a preliminary model, the method limit of detection (LOD) was 0.7 g kg−1. But the missing chromatographic separation complicated the quantification of polymer mixtures. Therefore, a pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) method was developed that additionally exploited the selective solubility of polymers in specific solvents prior to analysis. By dissolving polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) in a mixture of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and p-xylene after density separation, up to 50 g soil became amenable to routine plastic analysis. Method LODs were 0.7–3.3 mg kg−1, and the recovery of 20 mg kg−1 PE, PP, and PS from a reference loamy sand was 86–105%. In the reference silty clay, however, poor PS recoveries, potentially induced by the additional separation step, suggested a qualitative evaluation of PS. Yet, the new solvent-based Py-GC/MS method enabled a first exploratory screening of plastic-covered soil. It revealed PE, PP, and PS contents above LOD in six of eight fields (6% of all samples). In three fields, PE levels of 3–35 mg kg−1 were associated with the use of 40 μm thin perforated foils. By contrast, 50 μm PE films were not shown to induce plastic levels above LOD. PP and PS contents of 5–19 mg kg−1 were restricted to single observations in four fields and potentially originated from littering. The results suggest that the short-term use of thicker and more durable plastic covers should be preferred to limit plastic emissions and accumulation in soil. By providing mass-based information on the distribution of the three most common plastics in agricultural soil, this work may facilitate comparisons with modeling and effect data and thus contribute to a better risk assessment and regulation of plastics. However, the fate of plastic debris in the terrestrial environment remains incompletely understood and needs to be scrutinized in future, more systematic research. This should include the study of aging processes, the interaction of plastics with other organic and inorganic compounds, and the environmental impact of biodegradable plastics and nanoplastics.
Eine nachhaltige Intensivierung der Landwirtschaft ist notwendig, um die wachsende Weltbevölkerung zu ernähren ohne die Bodenqualität durch verstärkte Bodendegradation zu verschlechtern. Plastikmul-che (PM) werden weltweit zunehmend eingesetzt, um Wachstum und Ertrag von Feldfrüchten zu ver-bessern und somit die landwirtschaftliche Produktivität zu steigern. Zunehmend finden sich aber auch kritische Aspekte der PM-Anwendung auf die Bodenqualität sowie widersprüchliche Ergebnisse in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur. Grund könnte die Anwendung in verschiedenen Klimaten und bei unter-schiedlichen Feldkulturen, Böden und landwirtschaftlichen Techniken sein. Ein genauerer Blick ist so-mit notwendig, um den PM-Einfluss auf die Bodenprozesse unter verschiedenen Klima- und Anbaube-dingungen umfassend zu verstehen und hinsichtlich einer nachhaltigen Landwirtschaft zu bewerten.
Ziel dieser Doktorarbeit war es, zu verstehen, inwieweit eine mehrjährige PM-Anwendung verschiedene Bodeneigenschaften und -prozesse unter gemäßigt, humidem Klima in Mitteleuropa beeinflusst und die Folgen für die Bodenqualität zu bewerten. Hierfür untersuchte ich in einer dreijährigen Feldstudie, wie PM (schwarzes Polyethylen, 50 μm) das Mikroklima, die Strukturstabilität, die organische Bodensub-stanz (OBS) und die Konzentrationen bestimmter Fungizide und Mykotoxine in drei Bodenschichten (0–10, 10–30 and 30–60 cm) im Vergleich zu Strohmulch (SM) beeinflusst. Beide Bodenabdeckungen wurden in einer Dammkultur mit Tröpfchenberegnung im Erdbeeranbau eingesetzt.
Die PM veränderten das Mikroklima des Bodens hin zu höheren Temperaturen und niedrigeren Was-sergehalten. Hauptfaktor für das gesteigerte Pflanzenwachstum unter gegebenem Klima dürfte somit die höhere Bodentemperatur sein. Die niedrigere Bodenfeuchte unter PM zeigte, dass die verhinderte Nie-derschlagsversickerung stärker den Wasserhaushalt beeinflusste als die reduzierte Evaporation, was auf eine ineffiziente Niederschlagsnutzung hinweist. Die PM veränderten den Wasserkreislauf hin zu ver-mehrt seitlichen Wasserflüssen von der Furche zum Damm und weniger vertikalen Sickerwasserflüssen im Damm. Letzteres verringerte die Stickstoffauswaschung im Oberboden (0–10 cm) in der Anwachs-phase der Erdbeeren. PM verhinderte eine abrupte Bodendurchnässung und Überschusswasser bei Re-genfällen und somit Aggregatzerstörung. So wurde eine lockere und stabile Bodenstruktur erhalten, die Bodenverdichtung und Bodenerosion vorbeugt. PM veränderte Kohlenstoffaustausch und -umwandlung hin zu einer größeren und stabileren OBS. Somit kompensierte die unterirdische Biomassenproduktion unter PM den temperaturbedingt beschleunigten OBS Abbau sowie den fehlenden Eintrag oberirdischer Biomasse. Das SM erhöhte jedoch die labile und totale OBS im Oberboden nach dem ersten Versuchs-jahr und steigerte das mikrobielle Wachstum durch den oberirdischen Biomasseeintrag. PM verringerte den Fungizideintrag in den Boden und verursachte kein erhöhtes Mykotoxinvorkommen. Somit stellt PM kein erhöhtes Risiko für Bodenkontaminationen und die Bodenqualität dar. Diese Doktorarbeit zeigte, dass sich die PM-Effekte zeitlich, saisonal und zwischen den Bodenschichten unterschieden, womit die Bedeutung der Faktoren Bodentiefen und Zeit für zukünftige Studien belegt wurde.
Verglichen mit ariden Gebieten, waren die beobachteten PM-Einflüsse klein, ausgeblieben oder anders. Als Grund hierfür vermute ich, dass PM in humidem Klima die Bodenfeuchte verringerte anstatt zu erhöhen und dass unter SM das Stroh und Blätterwerk einen PM-ähnlichen „Abdeckungseffekt“ verur-sachte. Eine Generalisierung der PM-Effekte über verschiedenen Klimazonen ist somit kaum möglich, da sich die Effekte in Art und Ausmaß in Abhängigkeit vom Klima unterscheiden. Die PM-Effekte auf die Bodenqualität müssen somit differenziert beurteilt werden. Ich schlussfolgere, dass PM in humiden Klimaten Bodendegradationen vermindern könnte (z.B., OBS Abbau, Erosion, Nährstoffauswaschung, Verdichtung und Kontamination) und somit hilft, Bodenqualität zu erhalten und eine nachhaltige, land-wirtschaftliche Intensivierung zu ermöglichen. Allerdings ist weitere Forschung nötig um meine Ergeb-nisse auf größeren Skalen, über längere Zeitperioden und bei verschiedenen Böden und Feldfrüchte zu überprüfen, verbleibende offene Fragen zu beantworten und Verbesserungen zu entwickeln, um die Nachteile der PM zu überwinden (z.B. Bodenverunreinigung mit Plastik, Entsorgung der Mulche).
Abstract for the print-book: Walden, R. (2008). Architectural Psychology: School, University Campus, and Office Building of the Future. Lengerich: Pabst Science Publishers (in German). The need for display of self in architecture and for users' self-regulation of stress factors, which demonstrate that users crave individual control of their environment (cf. Flammer, 1990; Burger, 1992) motivated this study to use the concept of environmental control as a central criterion for the evaluation of built environment. It was applied to three case studies: a school, a university campus, and an office building. Advantages and disadvantages of the data- gathering methods of architectural Programming, User-Needs Analysis, and Post-Occupancy Evaluation were analyzed to highlight their significance in terms of Building Performance Evaluation as described by Preiser and Sc hramm (1997, 2005). The “Koblenz Architecture Questionnaire” was used as an instrument for assessing the built environment of the three case studies, and the study reports selected findings from these questionnaires. The investigation seeks to determine the effect of architecture - especially buildings' provisions for user control of environmental conditions - on user performance (cf. BOSTI studies, 1984, 2001) in three innovative buildings: the Waldorf School in Cologne, the new campus for the University in Koblenz, and the Office Tower of the Deutsche Post World Net AG in Bonn. Performance is measured in terms of (1) Lear ning and Work Efficiency, (2) Well-being, (3) Environmental Control, (4) Social Behavior (the latter just for the school project), and by means of 21 and 16 additional psychological criteria for success of the organization in the cases of the university and the office building, respectively. The study aims, among other things, at reassessing the theoretical concept of 'environmental control' and at making recommendations for both improvement of existing buildings and the design of new projects. Two central questions are: In User-Needs Analysis, what is the difference between the assessment of a building for its current use and its estimated performance in future? Do certain architectural features influence user assessments on the given performance criteria? In the studies, three mapping sentences were developed according to the 'facet approach' (Borg, 1996) as well as two systems to judge the quality of school and office buildings. Using these systems, information was obtained in all three studies to construct questionnaires. In the school study, teachers were asked 139 questions, pupils 86 questions. Responses were obtained from 26 teachers and 122 pupils. For the university, 147 students and 28 faculty members responded to 203 questions. For the office building, 56 student-experts were asked 254 questions. Characteristics of the built environment were rated using the following scale: +2 ☺☺ (very good “at present”, and accordingly very important “in the future”) down to –2 // (very bad “at present”, and very unimportant “in the future”). A general finding was a high and significant co rrelation between the responses for the three main performance criteria in all three case studies, especially for the 'importance for the future' aspect. This supports the conclusion that a perception of higher degree of environmental control by users will lead to an increased sense of well-being and consequently, there will also be a higher expectation of improved work or learning efficiency 'in the future'. The three studies further show for example that users in all three environments desire 'retreat opportunities' which may take the form of student offices in schools, niches and small group seating in classrooms, and sheltered seating in outdoor areas and work tables in the cafeteria for the university. For the offices, users wanted more visual privacy (less transparent office partitions in Combi Offices) for less visual control of their activities by supervisors and co-workers. The relationships found by the studies between the responses on the central performance criteria and the spatial characteristics of the three buildings support the contention that focused improvements in the built environment, especially with respect to features that enhance user control of environmental conditions, will influence users’ well-being as well as work performance and work or learning efficiency in a positive way.