Springfield Plateau

Springfield Plateau (39a)

The Springfield Plateau is the only Ozark Highland Level IV ecoregion within all four states. The nearly level to rolling Springfield Plateau is underlain by cherty limestone of the Mississippian Boone Formation and Burlington Limestone; it is less rugged and wooded than Ecoregions 38, 39b, and 39c, and lacks the Ordovician dolomite and limestone of Ecoregions 39c and 39d. Karst features, such as sinkholes and caves, are common. Cold, perennial, spring-fed streams occur. Upland potential natural vegetation is primarily oak–hickory and also oak–hickory–pine forests; savannas and tallgrass prairies also occurred and were maintained by fire. Today, most of the forest and almost all of the prairie have been replaced by agriculture or expanding residential areas. Poultry, cattle, and hog farming are primary land uses; pastureland and hayland are common. Application of poultry litter to agricultural fields is a non-point source that can impair water quality. Total suspended solids and turbidity values in streams are usually low, but total dissolved solids and hardness values are high. The region is a total of 4,110 square miles (10,600 km), with 66% in Missouri, 23% in Arkansas, 11% in Oklahoma, and the remainder (53 square miles (140 km)) in Kansas.