Relationships of temperature and biodiversity with stability of natural aquatic food webs

Qinghua Zhao (), Paul J. Brink, Chi Xu, Shaopeng Wang, Adam T. Clark, Canan Karakoç, George Sugihara, Claire E. Widdicombe, Angus Atkinson, Shin-ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Ryuichiro Shinohara, Shuiqing He, Yingying. X. G. Wang and Frederik Laender
Additional contact information
Qinghua Zhao: Wageningen University & Research
Paul J. Brink: Wageningen University & Research
Chi Xu: Nanjing University
Shaopeng Wang: Peking University
Adam T. Clark: University of Graz
Canan Karakoç: Indiana University
George Sugihara: University of California-San Diego
Claire E. Widdicombe: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe
Angus Atkinson: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe
Shin-ichiro S. Matsuzaki: National Institute for Environmental Studies
Ryuichiro Shinohara: National Institute for Environmental Studies
Shuiqing He: Wageningen University & Research
Yingying. X. G. Wang: University of Jyväskylä
Frederik Laender: University of Namur

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Temperature and biodiversity changes occur in concert, but their joint effects on ecological stability of natural food webs are unknown. Here, we assess these relationships in 19 planktonic food webs. We estimate stability as structural stability (using the volume contraction rate) and temporal stability (using the temporal variation of species abundances). Warmer temperatures were associated with lower structural and temporal stability, while biodiversity had no consistent effects on either stability property. While species richness was associated with lower structural stability and higher temporal stability, Simpson diversity was associated with higher temporal stability. The responses of structural stability were linked to disproportionate contributions from two trophic groups (predators and consumers), while the responses of temporal stability were linked both to synchrony of all species within the food web and distinctive contributions from three trophic groups (predators, consumers, and producers). Our results suggest that, in natural ecosystems, warmer temperatures can erode ecosystem stability, while biodiversity changes may not have consistent effects.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38977-6

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