Table 2. Overview of the advantages and disadvantages of studies conducted at different genomic, ecological, temporal and spatial scales.

Category	Scale	Advantages	Disadvantages
Genomic scale	Narrow e.g., single gene	Known function	Limited information
	Broad e.g., whole genome	Discover significant genomic regions	Interpretation limited by annotation
Ecological scale	Narrow e.g., single species	Feasibility of detailed study	Information may be restricted to study system
	Broad e.g., multiple species	Generalizability; more ‘realistic’ insights	Limitation on depth of study
Temporal scale	Narrow e.g., within single generation	Feasibility of detailed study	Temporal patterns not detected or restricted to ecological time scales
	Broad e.g., across species (evolutionary time)	Ability to detect macroevolutionary patterns	Detail of within-species processes may be lacking; feasibility
Spatial scale	Narrow e.g., single population	Feasibility of detailed study	Limited ability to generalize across broader spatial contexts
	Broad e.g., global	Identify general patterns	Feasibility