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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
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Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
Published on: October 1, 2011
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Matching climate to biological scales.
David H Klinges1, Martha M Muñoz2, Saúl F Domínguez-Guerrero3
1School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|December 18, 2025
Summary
Finer-grained climate data do not always improve ecological inference. This review synthesizes knowledge to create a framework for understanding climate exposure scales relevant to biology.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Climate Science
- Physiology
- Micrometeorology
- Landscape Ecology
Background:
- Advances in climate modeling and remote sensing suggest finer-grained climate data can enhance biological relevance.
- However, the scale appropriate for biological systems is context-dependent and not always improved by higher-resolution data.
- This highlights a gap in understanding how to effectively link climate data to ecological and evolutionary processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a framework that integrates climatic and biological perspectives for understanding climate exposure scales.
- To provide guidance on selecting appropriate scales for investigating microclimate effects across different biological levels (individuals, populations, communities).
- To conceptualize systems of climate scale and recommend trait-based approaches for identifying relevant climate-biology interactions.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of knowledge from micrometeorology, physiology, and landscape ecology.
- Development of a conceptual framework integrating climate and biological scales.
- Review of existing and novel methods and technologies for microclimate assessment.
Main Results:
- A novel framework is proposed for understanding the scales of climate exposure relevant to biological systems.
- Conceptualization of "systems of climate scale" to better define climate-biology interactions.
- Recommendations for trait-based approaches to determine biologically relevant climate scales are provided.
Conclusions:
- Integrating climate and biological lenses is crucial for accurate microclimate effect studies.
- Trait-based approaches can help identify the most relevant scales for climate-biology interactions.
- Novel methods and technologies offer new opportunities for multiscale microclimate investigations in ecology and evolution.
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