Ecoregion 47c : Iowan Surface

The Iowan Surface ecoregion is a geologically complex region located between the bedrock-dominated landforms of the Paleozoic Plateau region and the relatively recent glacial drift landforms of the Des Moines Lobe. The southern and southeastern border of this ecoregion is irregular and crossed by major northwest- to southeast-trending stream valleys. In the northern portion of the region, the glacial deposits are thin, and shallow limestone bedrock creates karst features such as sinkholes and sags. There are no natural lakes of glacial origin in this region, but overflow areas and backwater ponds occur on some of the larger river channels contributing to some diversity of aquatic habitat and a large number of fish species.