A variety of plants and animals inhabit playa wetlands. The vegetation is relatively dynamic and many plants that are present early in the growing season are not seen late in the year and instead are replaced by numerous new species. Much of this has to do with the drastic changes in the hydrology (water depth and permanence) present in the wetlands. Because of the relatively flat nature of the playas there is limited zonation of the plant communities. However, this does not mean that the plants are the same throughout the entire playa wetland. There are generally at least two zones of emergent wetland vegetation which are dictated by soil moisture. Most of the vegetative cover is comprised of perennial species, with lesser amounts of annual species. A few of the more wide-spread plant species include western wheatgrass, barnyard grass, Pennsylvania smartweed, and curly dock.

When one thinks about the value of playa wetlands to wildlife they generally think about birds, and specifically wintering waterfowl. It is indeed a thrilling to see thousands of ducks feeding and loafing on a playa wetland. Various studies have shown from 150 to 180 different bird species using playa wetlands. The most conspicuous birds are wintering waterfowl and migrating sandhill cranes. The most common waterfowl are dabbling ducks and include mallards, northern pintails, American wigeon, and green-winged teal. Estimates for wintering ducks range from 500,000 to 2.8 million and for Canada geese and snow geese from 100,000 to 750,000. Several hundred thousand sandhill cranes also use the playa wetlands during migration. An unknown but significant number of shorebirds and passerines also use the playa wetlands.

Although generally much less obvious than waterfowl, about 14 species of amphibians, inhabit playa wetlands. Although many playa wetlands are dry for much of the year, as the spring rains begin to fill the playa wetlands thousands of frogs, toads, and salamanders emerge from the dry ground and start to breed almost immediately. Several species such as spotted chorus frogs rely upon the more permanent sources of water, which are artificially created irrigation pits dug to retain water, but most species such as Great Plains toads, Great Plains narrow-mouth toads, and New Mexico spadefoot toads, are adapted to the ephemeral and fluctuating water levels.