Abstract: A pilot study was realized in 2013/2014 to investigate the restoration of degraded percolation mires by a large-scale top soil removal. Objectives and results of the study are presented. The project area is situated in North-East Germany in a percolation mire of the Peene river valley. Nowadays natural percolation mires, especially mesotrophic types, of alkaline habitats, are very rare. Structural and trophic features of peat surface changed irreversible due to drainage and

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... l use in the past. Thus the degraded, eutrophic top soil shall be removed on large-scale in a following main project and the undecomposed peat shall be exposed. Through this measurement water may rise to the surface again and peat producing plants may reestablish. A first top soil removal of 400 square meters was undertaken in spring 2014. An additional part of the main project should be an approach to utilize the excavated soil for gardening purposes. Thereby a technical, ecological and economical useful utilization of the material may be reached.