Definition of terms

 Aspect refers to the compass direction a landscape faces.

 Climate refers to the weather situation over a long period of time, usually 30 years or more.

 Ecoclimate is the climate inside vegetation.

 Macroclimate is the weather situation over a long period of time, usually the average of 30 years or more.  Macroclimate is independent of local topography, soil type and vegetation and may extend for hundreds of kilometers.  Typically, macroclimate temperatures are measured 1.5 meters above the ground and wind speed is determined at 10 meters above ground.  Macroclimate considerations are important for the study of biogeography.

 Mesoclimate or topoclimate is a local variant of macroclimate caused by topography and sometimes by vegetation or human action.  Mesoclimates are found in ravines, over large lakes, and in big cities.  The focus of mesoclimate studies is usually horizontal surfaces which may extend from kilometers to hectometers.  Typically, mesoclimate temperatures are measured at 1.5 meters and/or at 0.5 meters above the ground, humidity is measured at 0.5 meters above the ground, and wind speed is determined at 1-2 meters above the ground.  Mesoclimate considerations are important for the study of urban ecology and bioclimatology.

 Microclimate is the climate of the lower two meters of the atmosphere and the upper 0.5 to 1 meter of the soil.  Vegetation has considerable influence on microclimate.  Other important considerations are aspect (compass direction) and inclination.  A microclimate typically extends over meters to hectometers.  Typically, microclimate temperatures are measured at 1.5 meters and/or at 0.5 meters above the ground, humidity is measured at 0.5 meters above the ground, and wind speed is determined at 1-2 meters above the ground.  Microclimate considerations are important for studies of vegetation ecology and population dynamics of plants and animals.

 Nanoclimate or epiclimate is the climate of the on the surface of leaves, in the air cavities in litter, along the slopes of an ant hill, or in the fissures in rocks.  Nanoclimate extends vertically a few centimeters, or perhaps a decimeter and extends horizontally for centimeters.  Studies of nanoclimate are important for ecophysiology and population ecology of very small organisms.

 Weather refers to the conditions of a certain moment as opposed to climate, the long-term average of weather conditions.  Thus, terms such as macroweather and microweather are analogous to macroclimate except that they describe short-term conditions.