Answer:

An understanding of microclimates is of fundamental importance in ecology because it represents the physical conditions actually experienced by organisms. In turn, these conditions constrain the energy and mass budgets of organisms and ultimately their behavior, distribution, and abundance

Microclimates control evaporation and transpiration from surfaces and influence precipitation, and so are important to the hydrologic cycle—i.e., the processes involved in the circulation of the Earths waters.

A microclimate is a small area within a climate zone where the climate is slightly different from the zone predictions. A good example of a microclimate that is fairly large would be a valley where cold air settles. The temperature may be several degrees cooler than your zone maps indicate