The constant temperature equivalent

Since the rate of most biological processes is not linearly related to temperature over the entire range of temperatures observed during field experiments, it is felt that the mean temperature should not be used as a measure of the fluctuating temperatures in the field. The constant temperature equivalent is designed to be a measure of fluctuating temperatures that will enable the rate of biological processes in the field to be directly compared with the rate observed in laboratory experiments at constant temperatures. Although the expressions involved in its calculation appear complicated, it is shown that the constant temperature equivalent can, in fact, be fairly easily calculated without the aid of a computer.