A framework for quantifying the thermal buffering effect of microhabitats

The importance of microhabitat, a localized environment with a microclimate that is distinct from the regional climate, is increasingly recognized in ecological conservation planning. Although there is a growing body of literature on microhabitats and the thermal buffering effect (the difference between temperatures within and outside of a microhabitat), uncertainties remain in quantifying this effect due to variation among microhabitats and the species that use them. Here, we review studies on thermal buffering in various microhabitats, and outline a framework for the quantification of the thermal buffering effect. Our framework emphasizes the importance of clearly defining ambient temperature and other temperature metrics used in quantifying the thermal buffering effect, as well as the spatial and temporal scales of investigation. We believe a suitable framework can help to reduce the uncertainties in quantifying the thermal buffering of microhabitats and assessing the vulnerability of species to regional climate changes.