Ozark Plateaus

a low hilly area in the central USA. The Ozarks are composed primarily of Paleozoic limestones; in the east there are outcrops of Precambrian rocks (the St. Francois Mountains). The area is greatly dissected by rivers, and in places there are karst formations. The average elevation is under 500 m, with a maximum elevation of 823 m in the Boston Mountains. Red and yellow soils predominate. Forests, chiefly oak, have been preserved at higher elevations. Complex-metal ores are mined in southeastern Missouri and in the Tri-State district by the St. Joe Minerals Corporation. Much of the land is agricultural.