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

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.