Characteristics of the mean daily temperature (MAT, °C), positive accumulated temperature (PAT, °C), negative accumulated temperature (NAT, °C), positive degree days (PDD, days), negative degree days (NDD, days) and freeze-thaw cycles per day (FTC, times) across each period in the four gap positions (gap center, canopy gap, expanded gap and closed gap) over two years of litter decomposition in an alpine Minjiang fir forest.

The first snow formation period (SF1), the first snow cover period (SC1), the first snow melt period (SM1), the first growing season (GS1), the second snow formation period (SF2), the second snow cover period (SC2), the second snow melt period (SM2), and the second growing season (GS2).