ABSTRACT
The composition, abundance, and distribution of urban biodiversity both are a driver of urban climate, as well as a function of climate. What comprises the urban climate are complex energy balances, regional climate, and wind dynamics. Urban energy balances determine how much heat is received, stored, and lost. Regional aridity and precipitation regimes influence what biodiversity occurs within cities, while wind dynamics influence both the energy balance and biophysical properties of urban biodiversity. These components of the urban climate control the biophysical environment, from local air and soil quality, human interactions, as well as micro and macro scale metrics of urban biodiversity. The qualities of urban biodiversity may also influence the urban climate. All these interacting forces are governed by the scale at which we observe them. The relationships of urban climate and biodiversity that are unique at the scale of a residential yard will take on more emergent properties when scaled up to a neighborhood, or citywide level. In this chapter, we examine the fascinating interactions of climate, biodiversity, and scale occurring across the urban environment.
