A limestone pavement beach consists of flat slabs of limestone rock that are covered by very thin or no soil. Plants grow in cracks within limestone slabs or rocks. Rain water quickly runs off the flat rock surface. However, ground water is close to the surface because the lake level occurs within a few centimetres of the pavement surface. Therefore, plants are seldom stressed by lack of water.
Plants have to grow their roots in cracks in the rock or in the very shallow soil.
The soil is also limey and is alkaline. Only a few types of plants tolerate these conditions. At the water's edge, winter ice scrapes along the shore, cleaning off exposed soil and plants. Therefore, there is commonly a zone devoid of plants within several meters of the shoreline. Those plants that do grow on the limestone pavement have a foothold in cracks in the rock.