Post 2: Details of the habitat my organism is living in

The habitat of the organisms is the Alpine Tundra Biome. To be specific, the meadow found in the Alpine Tundra is the microhabitat of these organisms.

The Alpine Tundra is generally characterized by cold, harsh environment, and strong winds. The alpine tundra experiences both summer and winter. However, the summer season is much shorter than the winter season.

Seasons

Summer usually lasts from June to September, a mere 4 months while winter is predominant in the alpine tundra for the rest of the months, October to May.

Temperature

Even in summer, the temperature remains reasonably low at 10ºC – 15ºC. In winter, average temperatures are below -56ºC. Moreover, the low temperatures result in a permanently frozen layer of soil called permafrost, which limits the development of plant roots. The increase in temperature during the summer causes this layer to melt and hence, waterlog the soil.

Precipitation

Annual rainfall received in the Alpine Tundra is moderate at 200mm-600mm per year but may exceed 1000mm at times. 

Wind

Wind speeds at the Alpine Tundra is usually within the range of 50 km/h to 100 km/h but may exceed due to the high altitude. Due to the strong winds, tall plants/trees cannot grow in the alpine tundra.

Location

The Alpine Tundra is found at the top of mountains and most of times, below the snowline. The high altitude means that there will be high exposure to UV rays as well since there is less atmosphere to filter the UV rays before reaching this location. Furthermore, there are low amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen in this biome.