Stagnogley

A stagnogley soil is a typically non-alluvial, non-calcareous, loamy or clayey soil with a relatively impervious, subsurface horizon. Stagnogley soils are related to the pseudogleys and are a type of gleyic soil. The name of this hygroscopic soil derives from its gley dynamics. The nutrient-poor, often heavily acidified soil is poorly aerated and is not suited to arable use on account of the poor growth performance of cultivated crops. As a shallow topsoil with a moderately stony subsoil, it is mainly used for woodland. Because of its shallow nature it is only suitable for species of trees that thrive well in these conditions, such as the English Oak.