Response to Pyke and Ren: How to study interactions

Carrie Finkelstein; Paul CaraDonna; Andrea Gruver; Ellen Welti; Michael Kaspari; Nathan Sanders

doi:10.26786/1920-7603(2022)709

Authors

Carrie Finkelstein University of Vermont
Paul CaraDonna 1)Chicago Botanic Garden 2)Northwestern University 3)Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
Andrea Gruver 1)Chicago Botanic Garden 2)Northwestern University
Ellen Welti Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Michael Kaspari University of Oklahoma
Nathan Sanders University of Michigan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2022)709

Abstract

We published a paper in Biology Letters earlier this year that asks a straightforward question: might flowers with sodium-enriched nectar receive higher visitation rates from a more diverse suite of pollinators? The answer was unequivocally yes (Finkelstein et al. 2022). Pyke and Ren wrote an opinion piece (Pyke and Ren 2022) taking issue with our experiment, calling it ‘irrelevant.’ Here, we briefly respond to their criticisms.

Author Biographies

Carrie Finkelstein, University of Vermont

Paul CaraDonna, 1)Chicago Botanic Garden 2)Northwestern University 3)Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Andrea Gruver, 1)Chicago Botanic Garden 2)Northwestern University

Ellen Welti, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

Michael Kaspari, University of Oklahoma

References

Finkelstein CJ, CaraDonna PJ, Gruver A, Welti EAR, Kaspari M, Sanders NJ (2022) Sodium-enriched floral nectar increases pollinator visitation rate and diversity. Biology Letters 18:20220016.

Hiebert SM, Calder WA (1983) Sodium, potassium and chloride in floral nectars: Energy -free contributions to refractive index and salt balance. Ecology 64:399-402.

Pyke GH, Ren ZX (2022) Flower visitors have a taste for salt, but this may have little relevance to nectar evolution: a comment on Finkelstein et al. 2022: Evolution of salt in nectar. Journal of Pollination Ecology 31: 70-72.