The Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI) is one of the most widely-used measures ofdiversity in the ecology literature. Landsat thematic mapper (TM) has been used to map theSHDI from landuse classification, and the relationships between SHDI estimates and satellitemeasuredreflectance have been analyzed. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)is used as an index for a rough measurement of green biomass and ecosystem diversity using arelatively simple and direct remote-sensing approach. NDVI values for diversity assessment andmonitoring are used to map vegetation land cover with a special emphasis on agriculture. Thevegetation dynamics in the context of different land cover types lead to variations in the spectralradiance in ecosystem diversity indicator values. Preliminary results applied to an example insoutheastern Ontario, where four eco-districts were considered, indicate a positive correlationbetween Landsat TM reflectance and parameters related to SHDI. Three hypothetical landusechange scenarios were applied to the sample region to estimate the potential impact of energycropping on biodiversity.