About three-quarters of this division was covered with prairie before settlement, and most of our remaining prairie is here. Forest and savanna occupied most of what was not prairie. This unglaciated area is characterized by gently rolling hills and plains. The soils were developed mainly from the underlying bedrock instead of from material formed by the glaciers as in the Glaciated Plains. The Osage Plains Natural Division is generally lower in elevation than the Ozarks, has few caves, springs or sinkholes, and has less rugged terrain.
Streams commonly have shallow valleys and broad floodplains withmany sloughs and marshes.
Erosion has carved cliffs and shelter caves along some of the same streams. Most of the common plants and animals of the Osage Plains are also found in the Glaciated Plains. There is only one section in this natural division. The natural divisions map provides a framework for thinking of Missouri's natural history. Of course, the exact boundaries of the divisions and sections are not clearly visible on the landscape, but dividing the state in this way does allow us to make certain generalizations about Missouri.