Biology subjects

Pons, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Pons, P..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Association between Lifestyle Habits (Physical Exercise, Sleep, BMI, and Tobacco Consumption) and Academic Performance in Spanish University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Healthy lifestyle habits are a key pillar of physical, psychological, and social well-being, yet university years are often marked by declines in sleep quality, physical activity, and other health behaviors that may affect academic performance. This cross-sectional study examined these associations in 390 Spanish university students, assessed via an online and in-person questionnaire covering academic trajectory (grade point average, credits passed, curricular progression), sleep quality (PSQI), physical activity (IPAQ), tobacco use, Body Mass Index (BMI), and sociodemographic data. Bivariate associations were tested with chi-square, Pearson correlation, t-tests, and ANOVA, followed by generalized linear models for significant variables. Sports participation, but not IPAQ-measured physical activity, was significantly associated with academic progression, defined as advancing one grade level per year. Sleep indicators showed mixed, partly counterintuitive associations: poorer nocturnal sleep was linked to better progression, whereas better sleep quality predicted a higher percentage of credits completed. BMI was a modest positive predictor of credit completion, and underweight students performed significantly worse than overweight or obese peers. Tobacco use showed no significant associations. These findings suggest that sleep-related behaviors, sports participation, and, to a lesser extent, BMI, are relevant correlates of academic progress, supporting university health policies addressing sleep, physical activity, and nutrition.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2018

Habitat fragmentation compromises on the population dynamic of the globally near-threatened Straight-billed Reedhaunter (Limnoctites rectirostris)

Understanding the consequences of habitat fragmentation to biological populations is crucial to develop sound conservation polices. The Straight-billed Reedhaunter (Limnoctites rectirostris) is a little known and threatened Passeriform that is highly dependent Erygo wetlands patches. Here, we evaluated the effects of habitat fragmentation on populations of the Straight-billed Reedhaunter, during the construction of a water reservoir in southern Brazil. During eight months, we monitored five Eryngo wetlands patches occupied (n=3) and no occupied (n=2) by Straight-billed Reedhaunter individuals, collecting data on their temporal occupancy patterns and registering new fragmentation events in formally continuous habitat patches. We evaluated the consequences of habitat fragmentation on the probabilities of patch occupancy, colonization and extinction of populations of the Straight-billed Reedhaunter using an information-theoretic approach. Out of the three patches occupied by Straight-billed Reedhaunter, two were not altered by construction activities and their populations were present during the entire study period. After fragmentation events, local extinction in one of the wetland patches was observed, and individuals were sporadically observed in two other initially unoccupied sites. The model in which fragmentation affected only the extinction probability was the most plausible among the set of candidate models. Fragmentation greatly increased the chance of local population extinction within patches. Our results indicate that the conservation of populations of the Straight-billed Reedhaunter is highly dependent on continuous and unaltered wetland patches.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2018

Spatiotemporal patterns of dunlin (Calidris alpina) in continental lakes of the Iberian Peninsula

Spatiotemporal dynamics may present different levels of regional or local stability, generally attributed to local habitat and landscape factors, reflecting the tolerances and ecological requirements of the populations. In this study, we examined the variations of dunlin abundance and occurrence in twenty-three wetlands of the \"La Mancha Humeda\" Biosphere Reserve, central Spain, between October 2010 and July 2017. In addition, we observed the variations of local abundance in the lakes of the Manjavacas lagoon complex, seeking to understand the factors that determine the local movements of the wintering individuals. Eleven lakes had records of dunlin, but most of individuals (ca. 90%) were observed in the Manjavacas Lagoon Complex (Alcahozo and Manjavacas lakes). The preference for this complex associated with temporal variations of abundance between the Alcahozo and Manjavacas lagoons possibly reflects the specific characteristics of the invertebrate community available as prey, especially for the presence of anostracans and copepods. The results of this study are a first step in understanding the factors that lead this species to select continental wetlands as wintering sites.

ecology↗