livin silk
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livin silk Eric Pรถltner
Master Thesis Submitted at the Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck Faculty of Architecture to obtain the academic degree Diplom-Ingenieur supervisors Univ.-Prof. Claudia Pasquero Maria Kupstova, MA Institute of Urban Design ioud Synthetic landscape lab Innsbruck, August 2020
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Content
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Thesis dying of insects insects for food production insects as food livestock production insect farming
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Terrain/Site Miami terrain simulation
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Biological model Design process cocoons spider silk desgin
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thesis
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Intro The thesis “livin silk” deals with the dying of insects and offers an architectural concept for the future. According to studies the insect population has already gone back by 75%. The reasons are diverse. Climate change, pesticides, monocultures and colonization are taking insect´s habitats. For these reasons architecture also has its share in it. There are lots of problems coming within the insects dying. Many animals and plants are depending on them. Humanity too will suffer, perhaps even to a degree that we cannot suspect at the moment. How can architecture counteract this problem? The solution suggested in this master thesis is a design which is on one hand for research purposes as well as the breeding of insects. Various fields of study should find space here, such as biology, landscape architecture or food technology. A concept should be developed that could spread to the city. The design also offers space to the breeding of insects. It concerns the conservation of species but also the production of food. The insects can be used as food themselves or be rented to produce food (orchards). The yield of many orchards depends on the stock of insects. Also „beneficial“ insects can be bred.
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When we go , we’re taking you all with us!
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Animal proteins are an important component of the human nutrition. The proportion of our food habits in the global greenhouse effect is often underestimated but it is enormous. Animal husbandry alone today accounts for almost 70% of the world’s agricultural land.
Livestock production About 30 percent of all land is used for livestock or for the production of animal food. But this big amount of animals produce a big amount of pollution like air and water pollution, loss of biodiversity or resource exhausting to name just a few. These pictures show the abstract “beauty” and distruction of industrial farms by Mishka Henner Another reason to eat less meat and start looking for alternatives offered by insects.
livestock
wild mammals and birds
other agricultural land
agricultural land used for livestock human biomas
land use
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industrial farms by Mishka Henner
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Livestock production Livestock production refers to all animals which are raised to provide meat, milk, eggs, feathers or to be used for transport or assistance. All over the the world animals are raised in bigger and smaller scales. The biomass of all livestock is bigger than of all humans’ or wild animals’ together. The tensest areas are eastern Asia, northern Africa and southeast of the USA. Geographic and cultural dierences have a big impact on which animals are raised. The livestock production is growing dramatically.
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livestock production
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Insects for the production of food When fruit, vegetables and grains are no longer sufficiently pollinated by wild bees or other insects, then you need to help. Then pollination beekeepers come and place their bee colonies where they are needed. In Austria it doesn’t happen very often and the earnings are low. Still about 80% of the plants in Austria depend on the bees. Elsewhere massive help must be provided. For example in California there is a big need because of mono-cultures especially the almond production. The bees are carried through the whole land to pollinate the plants. The same is happening in Florida for the orange production. About 30% of the world’s oranges are produced in Florida. This also happens in the Netherlands but not in these dimensions. But you can also breed other beneficial insects like spiders, ladybugs, wasps, butterflies, bumblebees or beetles.
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Insects as food To feed on insects has a lot of beneďŹ ts. Insects cause 25 times less CO2 than meat. They also need 10 times less space and much less food and water. To produce one kg of insects about two kg of food is needed, for cattle it is between 12-16 kg. In addition about 90% of an insect can be consumed, in mammals it is about 50%.
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meat
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CO2 space food water consumabel
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insects
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Insects as food Insects have always been eaten by humans. About two billion people worldwide eat insects. They are a perfect alternative to the high meat consumption and factory farming. So why did we actually stop eating them in the western world? The “livin silk” design offers space for visitors and the possibility of tasting various insects in order to show the public an alternative to eating meat. About 2000 insect species can be used as food for example: beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, crickets, grasshoppers and meal-worms. Especially meal worms have a high protein content.
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insects to breed on
beneďŹ cial insects
spider
insects for food production
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bees
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insects as food
crickets
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The aim is to breed on insects 1. beneficial insects 2. for food production 3. as food The farming of insects is not difficult. They can be breed I nearly every container no matter which shape.
Mealworms Mealworm is the larvae form of beetles (Coleoptera). Th optimum incubation is 25°C-27°C and its embrionic development lasts 4-6 days. This insects have a very high protein content.
Buffaloworms Also called lesser mealworms. They are 7-11mm in length.
Crickets There are a lot of different types of crickets which can be used for the human consumption. They can be dry-roasted, baked, deep-fried and boiled. But crickets can also be farmed as food for other animals, like reptiles, fish or birds.
Spiders The spiders are breed as beneficial insects. They are an alternative to insecticides.
Honeybees Products form the harvest of honey bees are beewax, bee brea, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, brood and honey. The honey bees are breed like industrial products. I want to focus more on wild bees. The wild bees are very different to honey bees. There are about 30 000 different wild bees. Most of this bees live on their own. They are getting less over the last years. Some species depend on one plant species. So their survival is also very important for the survival of some plants.
Butterflies Also this insects are getting fewer. They are also very important for some plant species. For the conservation of species I want to breed butterflies in one cocoon, the “butterfly house”.
Beetles, ladybuggs, … These insects are only breed for beneficial reasons. P 21
insects as food
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Insect farming Most of the insect farms are in the southeast of China or Thailand. About 20.000 farmers breed crickets and worms for the human nutrition. There are also some farms in Europe. They produce insects as food for animals (for example aquaristic), for pollination or as beneďŹ cial insects. They are not produced as food for humans at the moment. The farming of insects is not diďŹƒcult. Insects can be bred in nearly every container no matter which shape.
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site
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Miami The site is located in Miami. About 470 thousand people live in the capital. The whole Miami metropolitan is home for about 6.1 million people. Miami is placed between the Everglades to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east. The surface under the city is limestone. Miami also has an underground source of fresh water. That is why there are not many underground garages. A part of the city is beneath the sea level.
The Everglades The Everglades are a giant ecosystem. Fresh water comes from the surrounding lakes and rivers. In some cases they flood the Everglades more in others less. A lot of exotic and rare animals and plants are living here. The climate stays warm and mild all year. It has a tropic monsoon climate in summer (about 70% of the years rainfall) with a drier season in winter. Water is the dominating force in the Everglades shaping the land, vegetation and animal life.
Rising sea level One of Miami’s biggest problems is the rising sea level because of the climate change. People are working hard to find solutions like building higher streets, new canalization systems and wave blockers. But the city has to pay for all these actions on its own because the state doesn’t believe in climate change. There was actually one street going through Miami which belonged to the state. The government didn’t want to rebuild it so after years Miami had to do it on its own because the incoming water was flooding the city. The whole city could be under water by the end of the century. At the moment the government is just buying time.
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population in Miami 463.347 people
Everglades
Miami metropoltitan area 6,1 million people giant eco system and home to a lot of exotic and rare animals and plants
Miami tropic monsoon, warm and mild all year
climate
rising sea level
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Miami will be under water by the end of the century
Site The site is situated in the south of Miami at the Deering Bay. It is surrounded by the Florida Department for Agriculture, houses and some mangroves. The Montgomery Botanical Center is not far away too. The city is surrounded by the ocean and the everglades. The insect research center should be a link to nature surrounding the city. The exact site is in the mangroves and close to the sea.
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Site
Miami
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Heightfield 1
Houdini terrain simulation
Hydro
There are no heights or landscape structures. Therefore a new terrain had to be created with houdini. Because of the domination force of water in Miami, the simulation concentrates especially on the hydro erosion. This form of erosion simulation leads to the island and river structure which stands for Miami. The edges remind of mangrove roots.
erodabilty erosion rate bank angle
Thermal 1 0.4 90
erodabilty 1 erosion rate bank angle
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Heightfield 2 Hydro erodabilty erosion rate bank angle
Thermal 0.2 0.5 90
erodabilty 0 erosion rate bank angle
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Heightfield 3 Hydro erodabilty erosion rate bank angle
Thermal 1 0.5 80
erodabilty 0.1 erosion rate 0.05 bank angle 0
Heightfield 4 Hydro erodabilty erosion rate bank angle
Thermal 1 0.4 90
erodabilty 0 erosion rate bank angle
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Heightfield 5 Hydro erodabilty erosion rate bank angle
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Thermal 1 0.4 90
erodabilty 0 erosion rate bank angle
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Colour Code For a better visualisation of the dierent parts of the terrain a colour code was used. It shows the dierent parts of the terrain like the bedrock, mangroves, mud, sand and water. The spider silk colour shows even the small cracks and wholes for the insects and spiders to live in.
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sand
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Insects in Miami The water and the moisty, rainy and tropical climate are perfect for insects like mosquitoes. Mosquitoes generate fast and produce a lot of offsprings. There are about 3600 different mosquito species worldwide. To replicate the female mosquito needs to suck on blood for the production of eggs. The eggs are dropped on the water surface. Nearly every small amount of water can be used. After emerging from the egg the mosquito starts its life in the water. In the next step the larve pupates and emerges from the water. The mosquito stitch can transmit a lot of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, West Nil virus, yellow fever and zika fever to name just a few. Therefore people fight the plague with insecticides. Big areas are sprayed on from planes. But this is only a solution for a short time. Mosquitos need 11 days to recreate. Other insects and animals like spiders need longer. Because of the insect friendly climate people should start breeding spiders instead of insecticides. Florida is already raising big bee colonies for the orange fields. So why not doing that with all beneficial insects?
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mosquito life circle spraying against mosquitos
mosquiro
feed on blood
Miami papue
Perfect climate for insects
eggs in the water
larvae
spiders instead of spraying
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biological model
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Spiders Spiders are the only species of these beneficial insects which are actually not insects. They belong to the spider animals. In contrast to insects spiders have eight legs instead of six. Their importance for the ecosystem is often underestimated. However, when insecticides are sprayed, spiders are also dying.
Spider silk As a model for the form finding process nets of spiders are to be used. A spider can produce different kinds of silk for different functions (for example nest building, food, reproduction, alarm, ...) and has different glands in the abdomen for each type of silk. The silk is made of proteins structures. Spider silk is four times stronger than steel and can be stretched by three times to withstand the impact of flying insects. The design of the net varies within the spider.
Biological model Two species of spiders are used for the biological model: the lycosidae (wolf spider) and the Eratigens atrica (giant house spider).
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wolf spider
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giant house spider
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Container 1 (wolf spider) The lycosidae (wolf spider), with a few exceptions, does not capture insects through nets but lurks them. This was found in a big and very tense net. The wolf spider does not use the net to catch insects. It is a very good eyesight hunter. In the first test the spider immediately started to build a net like a funnel. The container contains a 3d-printed “cocoon” to see how the spider includes it in its net. The aim is to find out how to connect the cocoons within the design.
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digital translation Houdini was used for the digital translation of the cocoons. The simulation is taking points of the “cocoon� in the middle and connects it with yarns to the top and the bottom.
50 points
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week 1
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week 5
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week 2
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week 3
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week 4
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week 8
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Container 2 ( giant house spider) The giant house spider can reach a span up to 10 cm. The nets are flat and very tense. At the end of every net there is a funnel where the spider lurks for trapped insects. It attacks and kills them. This spider lives in the biggest container (30x10cm). It started to build a net at the top. As the container was flipped upside down it changed position and built a net at the bottom. By flipping the container to the side the spider started to connect both sides. This could be used to connect the cocoons with the structure of the design. Luckily the spider started to build cocoons. A few weeks after that a lot of baby spiders emerged. Most spiders are living on their own. They only meet up for reproduction which can end fatal for male spiders. Only a few are living together in colonies, hunting together and raising their offspring. To prevent the spiders from eating each other the baby spiders were set free. The spiders were fed on crickets and other small insects.
week 10
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spider cocoons
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spider cocoons
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Biological model
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diving bell spider pic 51 silk carped
spider cocoons pic 52 egg structure
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digital translation pic 53 silk layer
The cocoon The design tries to copy the spider’s work shown in the experiment. When a spider starts to build a cocoon it first starts to produce a carpet out of silk. Then it puts its eggs on the silk. After that the spider starts to put silk layers over the eggs. The first layer is a silk carpet which holds them together. Other layers are added to protect the breed. After a few weeks the breed emerges from the cocoon. There are a few spiders which use the cocoon for a different function. The diving bell spider or water spider produces half of a cocoon as a diving bell. This by now rare spider lives in freshwater in Europe and Asia. Its survival depends on the water quality. The diving bell spider spends most of its life in the water. Sometimes it swims to the surface to replenish its oxygen.
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design
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Cocoon simulation Meta-balls to imitate the cocoon/eggs In computer graphics meta balls are organic looking n-dimensional isosurfaces, characterised by their abitlity to meld together when in close proximitry to create single, contigous objects. The scale of the meta balls are controlled by the weight component in houdini. These meta-balls imitate the eggs-cocoon from the spider experiment. The idea is to scatter different points from the terrain on which meta balls are placed. In order to get different shapes from different numbers and sizes of meta balls this process is repeated many times. At the end they are combined. The big cocoons are later used to contain the main functions like research, butterfly houses, restaurants and breeding stations.
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cocoon simulation
cocoon simulation
cocoon simulation
Insect cocoons
Insect cocoons
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After finishing the inside the cocoons are covered with different layers of “silk”. The silk pattern has more or less tensity to give insects space to live in between.
short walk A Short walk is used to shadow parts of the cocoon by remeshing the lines.
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silk pattern
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pattern for windows
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cocoon types By combining the different layers the cocoon is finished. Research cocoon: insect cocoons for breeding tenser structures for shadow glass cocoon with structure Butterflies/restaurant: no insect cocoons inside to offer space tense parts for shadow glass cocoons with structure beetles: insect cocoons open structures so the beetles can get in and out as they want to fassade structures which can be used for living like in an insect hotel spiders: open like the beetle’s ones together with some breeding cocoons formed like shells which filter the mosquitoes out of the air
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cocoon types
research cocoon
buttery/restaurant cocoon
beetles cocoon
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spider cocoon
silk together Another silk layer is connecting all cocoons together. The insects should find space in this layer too. This is why it is named “livin silk” (live-in-silk).
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connecting with the terrain The last layer connects the terrain with the geometries. Again this structure oers space to the insects to live in.
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silk over terrain To get tenser and less tens areas a “maskâ€? over the heightďŹ eld works as boundary for the silk.
silk pattern
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terrain
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silk over terrain Also small parts of the edges are taken out and reďŹ lled with silk structure for the insects. P 71
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butterfly structure Parts of the terrain are taken out and analyzed for the different needs of the insects. The plateau where plants can grow is used for the butterflies. There is still a little bit of structure for the butterflies to live and hide in. The research cocoon is placed here too. These cocoons are about 30 meters long and 15 meters in cross section dimension. The smaller cocoons are butterfly houses where you can breed on separate species. P 73
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spider structure There is a lot more silk structure for the spiders to live in. The silk covers the cracks and wholes all over the terrain. The spiders can use the frames of the structure to build their nets in between.
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beetles structure Also the beetles get a little bit structure on the bottom to hide an live there.
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path structure One layer is connecting all this parts together, to enable access to the public. This is also the connecting link to the city which the insects can use to spread to the city. Also the restaurant cocoons for people to taste on insects is here.
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all togehter
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structure as insect hotel In the next step the silk is structured with a small pattern for the insects to live in like an insect hotel. That is where living goes on and another reason why it is named “live in silk” = “livin silk”. P 83
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section
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insects cocoons
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Harvest You can harvest the insect ether from the small bubbles inside the cocoons or catch them in the butterfly houses. For the free living insects traps and nets are used. The insects are attracted with food and crawl into the traps where they are harvested. You need different traps for the different insects.
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steel structure
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When the sea level rises the structure should keep the cocoons in place. Every cocoon is a closed ecosystem like a survival capsule. The structure is a painted steel structure, to withstand the water and to keep the frames small an light.
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conclusion The aim of Livin silk is to show all the advantages of insects to the public. It oers an alternative for the high meat consumption. The insects can breed and live in the 3d-printed concrete structure. Humans can harvest, research or use the insects for beneďŹ ts like pollination, food or as alternative for pesticides. Livin silk oers the perfect environment for insect without keeping them in cages. The living structure could develop to the city or wherever it is needed.
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Eric Pöltner 2020 Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o https://mishkahenner.com https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/58ae71f58fd7418294f34c4f841895d8 Eric Pöltner 2o2o https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/58ae71f58fd7418294f34c4f841895d8 Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o https://www.beograduzivo.rs/gradska-desavanja/kultura-i-zabava/na-meniju-u-kc-grad-u-skakavci-i-larve/ Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2020 Eric Pöltner 2020 Eric Pöltner 2020 Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2020
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Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o https://www.competitionline.com/de/projekte/58899 Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2020 Eric Pöltner 2o2o Eric Pöltner 2020 Eric Pöltner 2o2o
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sources https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/58ae71f58fd7418294f34c4f841895d8 http://www.terreform.org/projects_cricket.html https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades-Nationalpark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaballs https://www.zirpinsects.com/wieso-insekten/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_bell_spider https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wissen/lebensmittel/auswaehlen-zubereiten-au&ewahren/insekten-essen-eine-alternative-zu-herkoemmlichem-eisch-33101
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Eidesstattliche Erklärung Ich erkläre hiermit an Eides statt durch meine eigenhändige Unterschrift, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit selbständig verfasst und keine anderen als die angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel verwendet habe. Alle Stellen, die wörtlich oder inhaltlich den angegebenen Quellen entnommen wurden, sind als solche kenntlich gemacht. Die vorliegende Arbeit wurde bisher in gleicher oder ähnlicher Form noch nicht als Magister-/Master-/ Diplomarbeit/Dissertation eingereicht.
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