Biodiversity is commonly measured in terms of taxonomic richness of a geographic area over a time interval.
[5] Although many scientists prefer to use Shannon's diversity index simply because it takes into account species richness.
For example, the biologist Sarda Sahney has found a close link between vertebrate taxonomic and ecological diversity.
[8] Conservation biologists have also designed a variety of objective means to empirically measure biodiversity.
For others, a more economically defensible definition should allow the ensuring of continued possibilities for both adaptation and future use by humans, assuring environmental sustainability.
The BII shows how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human pressures such as land use change and intensification.