Extrafloral Nectary-Bearing Plants Recover Ant Association Benefits Faster and More Effectively after Frost-Fire Events Than Frost

Abstract

The Cerrado confronts threats such as fire and frost due to natural or human-induced factors. These disturbances trigger attribute changes that impact biodiversity. Given escalating climate extremes, understanding the effects of these phenomena on ecological relationships is crucial for biodiversity conservation. To understand how fire and frost affect interactions and influence biological communities in the Cerrado, our study aimed to comprehend the effects of these two disturbances on extrafloral nectar (EFN)-bearing plants (Ouratea spectabilis, Ochnaceae) and their interactions. Our main hypothesis was that plants affected by fire would grow again more quickly than those affected only by frost due to the better adaptation of Cerrado flora to fire. The results showed that fire accelerated the regrowth of O. spectabilis. Regrowth in plants with EFNs attracted ants that proved to be efficient in removing herbivores, significantly reducing foliar herbivory rates in this species, when compared to the species without EFNs, or when ant access was prevented through experimental manipulation. Post-disturbance ant and herbivore populations were low, with frost leading to greater reductions. Ant richness and diversity are higher where frost precedes fire, suggesting that fire restores Cerrado ecological interactions better than frost, with less impact on plants, ants, and herbivores.