Despite an upsurge in national and international debate on environmental issues since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, fungi, vital to the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, are rarely mentioned. This volume helps redress this imbalance by considering fungi in the context of the impact of humankind's activity on their habitats. The presentation of experimental evidence is a major feature of the volume. Contributions on the effects of global warming, UV-B radiation, atmospheric and terrestrial pollutants, deforestation in the tropics, loss of biodiversity, genetic engineering and chaos theory ensure a topical and balanced coverage, with both ecological and physiological viewpoints being represented. This timely review will be of interest to all mycologists and those ecologists concerned with environmental change.