Plant abundance: the measurement and relationship with seed size

There are many inconsistencies in early reports describing the relationships between plant abundance and other biotic (e.g., seed size) or abiotic variables (e.g., precipitation). It has been difficult to generalize such relationships when abundance is measured differently (e.g., density, biomass, cover). This article suggests using abundance in two broad categories: numerical abundance (e.g., number of individuals, density) and mass abundance (e.g., biomass, cover). Collective evidence indicates that when abundance is measured the same way, the observed patterns may actually be more consistent.