'Biodiversity characterisation at landscape level using satellite remote sensing and GIS techniques' is a major national initiative of the Dept. of Space and Dept. of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, towards prioritization of bioprospecting and conservation efforts. Studies conduced under the project across different states/regions of the country have generated vegetation type maps, spatial disturbance regimes and biological richness maps. The database generated has been used for preparation of working plan, identification of protected areas, prioritized sites for detailed analysis and several other applications by different users.

The present volume is a detailed report of the abovesaid project and its findings pertaining to the Northern Plains, covering the states of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It provides location specific inventory for various plant species of the study area and highlights the status of rare/endangeredd/threatened species. The study observes that the land use and vegetation cover in the region is mostly influenced by the human disturbance and some parts of it show high biodiversity variations.