Do ecological specialization and functional traits explain the abundance-frequency relationship? Arable weeds as a case study

The abundance–frequency relationship (AFR) is among the most‐investigated patterns in biogeography, yet the relative contributions of niche‐based processes related to ecological strategies, and of neutral processes related to spatial colonization–extinction dynamics, remains uncertain. Here, we tested the influences of ecological specialization and functional traits on local abundance and regional frequency, to determine the contribution of niche‐based processes.