This book presents and develops ecological theory as a foundation for integrated pest management practices, with the aim of improving those practices. Unlike how-to books for dealing with a limited group of pests, this book presents the information and models a pest manager needs to work from to develop a strategy for controlling any group of pests. Focus is on the theoretical background of the major pest control tactics: host- plant resistance, biological control, microbial control, cultural control and chemical control. Also discussed are ecological concepts related to arthropod-borne plant diseases and their control, and a look at the economic dimension of agroecology, and comparisons and contrasts of natural and agricultural ecosystems.