Who developed the concept of distribution of commonness and rarity in species?

The concept of distribution of commonness and rarity in species was developed by Frank Preston, who introduced the idea of a "commonness and rarity" framework in ecology. His groundbreaking work, particularly his 1948 paper, outlined a way to categorize species based on their abundance and geographic distribution. This framework provided a structured approach to understanding biodiversity and species conservation, allowing ecologists to analyze patterns of species richness and relative abundance. By distinguishing between common and rare species, Preston contributed significantly to how ecologists study communities and ecosystems, thus laying the groundwork for future research in population ecology and biogeography.