Effects of fire on the structure of ant-plant ecological networks with extrafloral nectaries in the Cerrado

This study is based on data obtained from a year-long field monitoring of ant–plant interactions mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) in a Cerrado area subjected to sequential environmental disturbances. The study site was initially affected by a frost event and subsequently by a high-intensity forest fire. Data collection focused on regenerating plant species bearing EFNs and their associated ant fauna. Throughout the monitoring period, we recorded ant species richness and abundance, as well as the occurrence and frequency of ant–plant interactions. These observations allowed the characterization of interaction patterns between ants and EFN-bearing plants during post-disturbance regeneration. The dataset includes quantitative records of ant presence and interaction frequency over time, capturing temporal variation in ant–plant associations following frost and fire events. This information provides a detailed empirical basis for examining how environmental disturbances influence ant–plant interactions mediated by extrafloral nectaries in the Cerrado.