Various tropical desert plant communities are found here, including:[7] At the north end of the Gulf is the Shadegan Ponds on the delta of the Karun River.

This internationally important wetland features brackish sedge marshes dominated by Bulrush (Scirpus) in the better drained areas, and Tamarix on the mudflats.

The ecoregion corresponds to the South Iranian Floristic Province identified by Armen Takhtajan, and is part of the Omano-Sindian Subregion.

[7] Native mammals include the chinkara (Gazella bennettii), goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), African wildcat (Felis lybica), Indian grey mongoose (Urva edwardsii), jungle cat (Felis chaus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), and Persian trident bat (Triaenops persicus).

[6] Resident breeding birds include crowned sandgrouse (Pterocles coronatus), bar-tailed lark (Ammomanes cinctura zarudnyi), and pale rock martin (Ptyonoprogne obsoleta).

Common species are the Iranian toad (Bufotes surdus), Persian ground agama (Trapelus persicus), Iranian comb-fingered gecko (Stenodactylus affinis), ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus), rock semaphore gecko (Pristurus rupestris), and false cobra (Rhagerhis moilensis).

[1][10] Endemic species of reptiles and amphibians include Blanford's short-toed gecko (Cyrtopodion brevipes), Jaz murian bent-toed gecko (Mediodactylus sagittifer), Iranian worm snake (Xerotyphlops wilsoni), and Persian krait (Bungarus persicus), a venomous snake of the Elapidae family.