**4.2 Spatial patterns of phytodiversity using Dis (Similarity measure)**

Generally it is assumed that fragmentation and disturbance have a considerable influence on species richness (Connell, 1978; Huston, 1979). However, in the data set from the Eastern Ghats, this is only partly the case. Disturbance does not seem to drive species richness in the investigated area (Fig. 5 and 6). On the other hand this result might hint at a problem with the disturbance classification.
