This latest Symposium Volume of the British Ecological Society takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding community ecology. The meeting assembled a collection of speakers from disciplines as diverse as mycology, entomology, nematology, population ecology and theoretical ecology. Their interactions are brought together in this book, which provides an important referenec work for all ecologists. Throughout, the direct and indirect interactions between organisms from two or more trophic levels are emphasized in comprehensive reviews. The topics are arranged in sections, each of which has an overview introduction and summary, the latter highlighting future avenues for research