Aims. We explored the decomposition rates of single- and mixed-species litter, the litter-mixing effect and the effect of component litters in a mixture on decomposition. Methods.In a litter bag experiment, shoot litters from two dominant grasses (Leymus chinensis and Stipa baicalensis) and one legume (Melissitus ruthenica) were decomposed separately and as a mixture from May 2010 to Septembe…