An area approximately 510,768 ha surrounding the above core areas is designated buffer zone where multiple use is allowed. Prek Toal core area presents a floodplain wetland featured by rivers and creek system and a numbers of small lakes which retain water all year round. There is an extensive coverage of flooded forest including Barringtonia, Coccocera, Diospiros and Terminalia as principle tree species and shrubs and aquatic herb dominant by Combretum, Crataeva, Dalbergia, Ficus, Vitex, Eichhornia, Ludwigia, Phragmites, Pista, Poligonum, Sesbania, and Ultricyularia. The area yields higher amount of fish catch than the neighbouring sites with the dominant species being Channa striatus, Channa micropeltes, Cyclocheilichthys lagleri, Mystus nemurus and various other commercial value species. Among avifauna of significant conservation value are Pelicanus philippensis, Leptotilus dubius, Cairina scutulata, Mycteria cinerea, Leptoptilus javanicus.
Snakes are also abundant at certain places and are also harvested for food.
There are 5,630 people from 957 households of the four villages located adjacent to the north of the area and their prime occupations are either fishing or engaging in fish related jobs. There has been increasing fish and crocodile farming in the previous few years. However, the farming system encounters problem of insufficient food supply in season closed from fishing and price fluctuation. As the area is abundant of waterbirds, many people, in the previous few years, experienced eggs and chick collection as their seasonal jobs. Fish processing is also part of their jobs especially in the peak time of fish harvest from the fishing lot.