Seasonal variations in planktonic food web structure affect stability by shifting the distribution of energy fluxes

Seasonal variations in planktonic food web structure affect stability by shifting the distribution of energy fluxes | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Oikos This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 21 March 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Seasonal variations in planktonic food web structure affect stability by shifting the distribution of energy fluxes Authors : Simon Bazin 0000-0003-1169-811X , Isabelle Domaizon , Cecilia Barouillet 0000-0002-8004-1149 , Victor Frossard 0000-0003-1338-4739 , and Arnaud Sentis 0000-0003-4617-3620 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174256937.70717158/v1 Published Oikos Version of record Peer review timeline 299 views 226 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Seasonality in temperate ecosystems shapes species phenology, influencing interactions and food web structure. Variations in species richness and biomass affect trophic interaction strength, a crucial factor for community stability, which can be assessed through energy fluxes—an essential indicator of ecosystem function. Yet, we still have limited understanding on how energy fluxes and food web structure vary overtime and how the seasonal dynamics influence stability. We examined how the structure, energy fluxes and stability of a highly resolved multitrophic lake food web change across seasons over three successive years. Two estimates representing different facets of stability were considered: resilience and reactivity. We found a strong seasonal pattern in food web structure, with higher complexity observed in summer and autumn. In addition, we found that more complex food webs are more reactive to perturbations, and consequently, less stable than simpler ones over short time-scale. This was influenced by a lower proportion of strong energy fluxes. Resilience was unaffected by seasonality, food web structure and energy fluxes, highlighting the need to account for multifaceted nature of stability. The seasonal variability of stability suggests that food webs may vary temporally in their vulnerability to environmental perturbations, which has important implications for ecosystem management. Supplementary Material File (oik-11528-file002.pdf) Download 1.28 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 21 March 2025 Peer review timeline Published Oikos Version of Record 10 Nov 2025 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Oikos Keywords ecosystem function energy fluxes food web stability food web structure microzooplankton seasonality Authors Affiliations Simon Bazin 0000-0003-1169-811X Aix-Marseille Université View all articles by this author Isabelle Domaizon Université Savoie Mont Blanc View all articles by this author Cecilia Barouillet 0000-0002-8004-1149 Université Savoie Mont Blanc View all articles by this author Victor Frossard 0000-0003-1338-4739 Université Savoie Mont Blanc View all articles by this author Arnaud Sentis 0000-0003-4617-3620 [email protected] Aix-Marseille Université View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 299 views 226 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Simon Bazin, Isabelle Domaizon, Cecilia Barouillet, et al. Seasonal variations in planktonic food web structure affect stability by shifting the distribution of energy fluxes. Authorea . 21 March 2025. 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