The field of ecology is replete with intellectual and political challenges, many of pressing concern to the future of our planet. Solutions to these issues require more than the traditional ecological sciences have offered. Effective linkages must be forged between all spheres of scientific inquiry and must include social, political and economic dimensions. Frontiers in Ecology: Building the Links addresses the future of the ecological and environmental sciences. It takes stock of what we have learnt and where we are heading. Inter-disciplinary linkages have been avoided by many ecologists, but increasingly they cannot be ignored as we focus on the role of ecology in the new millennium.