Edgar Bernat-Ponce

European University of Valencia · Health Sciences

Invasive species are significant drivers of global change due to their ecological impact, as well as the economic costs associated with managing them. While habitat selection studies have been an essential tool for managing endangered species, they have not been widely used for invasive species. A prime example of an invasive species is the red‐whi...

Urban areas provide a constant and predictable supply of anthropogenic processed food. The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus Linnaeus, 1758), a declining urban bioindicator species, has recently been reported to have a high level of oxidative stress, with urban diet or pollutants proposed as the potential cause. In this study, we aimed to experiment...

Despite more studies being carried out to know the impacts associated with plastic debris and much effort being spent on marine ecosystems, the impacts of plastics on terrestrial and freshwater species remain largely unknown. Here, we explored the presence of anthropogenic materials in nests of two wader species, the gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon...

Green areas are key habitats for urban avifauna. Urban parks stand out from other anthropic habitats especially in providing trophic resources for many bird species. Consequently, modifications of these green zones can imply major changes in urban biodiversity. Potential pernicious urban remodelling is taking place in parks of eastern Spain because...

Desde los primeros asentamientos humanos permanentes del Holoceno, hace 10 000 años, hasta las ciudades contemporáneas, las aves han cohabitado con los seres humanos. En las últimas décadas la urbanización ha crecido exponencialmente en el planeta y, en 2030, más del 60% de la población mundial vivirá en zonas urbanas. En función de su tolerancia a...

Urbanisation processes are increasing worldwide at surprising rates affecting wildlife in many ways: changing habitat structure , reducing resources, and modifying the distribution, composition and abundance of local biota. In different countries, urban waste collection techniques are evolving and surface rubbish containers (neighbourhood receptacl...

This study reviews the classic method of using superglue to seal coloured plastic split-rings in 198 House Sparrows. Four birds of 50 individuals recaptured by mist net (8%) and 17 birds of 147 resighted individuals (11.6%) had lost or removed at least one coloured ring. These removal rates are much lower than in similar studies without superglue (...

Noise is a pollutant of emergent concern for ecologists and conservation biologists. Recreational noise pollution, especially unpredictable and intermittent sounds, and its effects on wildlife and biodiversity have been poorly studied. Researchers have paid very little attention to the effect of noisy traditional festivals (fireworks and powder-gun...

Abstract Advances in Infrared Thermography (IRT) technology provide behavioural studies the opportunity to non-invasively explore the links between behaviour and physiology. IRT measures surface body temperature and, in order to know its usefulness, we need to understand to what extent body surface temperature is a signal of the external environme...

The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is an invasive species, and its distribution is con-tinuously on the increase. Today its expansion has spread to the American continent. In this study we describe the effects of the urban environment on the Eurasian collared dove in eastern Spain. The abundance and presence of this dove were analyz...

Animals interact with and respond behaviourally and physiologically to challenges in their social environment. While responses to predation threats are relatively well studied we know little how interactions with conspecifics affect an animal’s physiological responses. Thermal imaging (infrared thermography) allows the measurement of body surface t...

Many European towns and cities have undergone reurbanisation processes in recent decades. However, their effects on urban biodiversity have been poorly studied. Currently urbanisation processes include park remodelling, which involves the replacement of semi-natural substrates (natural grass, bare soil) with artificial ones (pavement, concrete, are...

House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) are experiencing sharp declines in urban areas of Europe. The species follows the same negative trend in Spain. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this situation but its generalized urban decline seems to be linked to several factors. However, one of the most accepted hypotheses relates the decline t...

Since the white-headed duck settled in two lakes, Zoñar and Rincon in 1977 this species has increased its occupancy of the lakes occupied in mid southern part of Spain. Fish presence is a negative factor to white- headed duck, but in central Spain there are a higher number of lakes, mainly temporary, where there is no fish. In this area, the white-...

Agroecosystems are considered a basic habitat for an important part of native Mediterranean biodiversity. However, the recent implementation of new productivity techniques has been modifying intensively these habitats. An example of this effect can be observed in the general decline of many bird species linked to different kinds of field. On the ot...

House Sparrows are experiencing severe declines in Europe. Several hypotheses have been suggested. Our aim was to detect if House Sparrow populations of parks that suffer modern changes (plastic grass, paving and dog areas) decline at higher rates than those of parks without alterations. The abundance of sparrows in 32 parks (4 locations) of the Va...

Els teuladins estan patint importants declivis a àrees urbanes i rurals per tot arreu d'Europa, fins i tot a la Comunitat Valenciana. El nostre objectiu va ser explorar els factors biòtics i abiòtics que afecten l'abundància dels teuladins urbans al sud de la província de València i nord d'Alacant, inferir les causes que podrien explicar el declivi...

El teuladí està patint un greu declivi per tot arreu d’Europa, tant a àrees rurals com urbanes. Les poblacions de la Comunitat Valenciana presenten una tendència negativa i una de les causes suggerides fa referència a la desaparició de llocs aptes per a la seua nidificació. L’objectiu de la nostra investigació és detectar si l’espècie selecciona em...

Capsule: House Sparrows Passer domesticus in the Valencian Community, where the species is declining, were more abundant in parks and urban areas where rubbish bins are available as a source of food. In heavy traffic areas, crowded streets and high-rise building zones, the species was less abundant. Aims: To explore biotic and abiotic factors affec...

First results of the research (PhD) about the House Sparrow decline in the Valencian Community.