  We performed a stability analysis of 119 quantitative food webs which were
compiled using a standard methodology to build Ecopath mass-balance models. Our
analysis reveals that classic descriptors of complexity do not affect stability
in natural food webs. Food web structure, which is non-random in real
communities, reflects another form of complexity that we found influences
dramatically the stability of real communities. We conclude that the occurrence
of complex communities in nature is possible owing to their trophic structure.
