bioclimatology

bioclimatology, branch of climatology that deals with the effects of the physical environment on living organisms over an extended period of time. Although Hippocrates touched on these matters 2,000 years ago in his treatise on Air, Waters, and Places, the science of bioclimatology is relatively new. It developed into a significant field of study during the 1960s owing largely to a growing concern over the deteriorating environment.

Because almost every aspect of climate and weather has some effect on living organisms, the scope of bioclimatology is almost limitless. Certain areas are emphasized more than others, however, among them studies of the influence of weather and climate on small plant organisms and insects responsible for the development of plant, animal, and human diseases; the influence of weather and climate on physiological processes in normal healthy humans and their diseases; the influence of microclimate in dwellings and urban centres on human health; and the influence of past climatic conditions on the development and distribution of plants, animals, and humans.