Climate warming and nutrient enrichment destabilize plankton network stability over the past century

Global warming and anthropogenic activities have profoundly altered biodiversity and aquatic ecosystem stability, yet the underlying driving mechanisms remain inadequately understood. Here, we analyzed temporal patterns of biodiversity and community stability over the past century by constructing 29 temporal planktonic network models. These models were based on the sedimentary DNA (sedDNA) extracted from downcore sediments in Lake Chagan, a seasonally frozen lake in Northeastern China, using high-throughput sequencing techniques. Our findings identify the mid-1990s as a critical tipping point, marked by substantial shifts in nutrient levels and annual average temperatures. We demonstrate that the temporal network stability of plankton communities has been predominately compromised by climate warming, followed by nutrient enrichment. Our study highlights the intricate interplay between biotic and abiotic factors in determining the stability of aquatic ecosystems, which have significant implications for the management and conservation of freshwater ecosystems in the face of ongoing climate warming.