In addition to total species numbers, disturbance also affects species composition. For instance, tree species
composition changes from species with hard to species with softer wood when the forest is repeatedly disturbed (ter Steege 2003). Similarly, epiphyte species from shady canopy strata decline in more open vegetation types compared with natural forests (Hietz- Seifert et al. 1996; Acebey et al. 2003; Hietz 2005; Holz & Gradstein 2005).