Contents	4
	Preface	5
	Glossary	6
	A	6
	B	6
	C	6
	D	6
	E	6
	H	6
	L	6
	M	6
	N	7
	O	7
	P	7
	R	7
	S	7
	Acknowledgements	7
	1 Overview	8
	The Nature of Microbial Communities	9
	Life at Low Nutrient Concentrations: the Common Lot of Micro-organisms	17
	Physicochemical Factors Affecting the Environmental Fate of Micro-organisms	19
	Competitive Strategies of Micro-organisms	24
	Interactions Involving Micro-organisms	26
	References	28
	2 Aquatic Environments	30
	Microflora of the Different Aquatic Environments	31
	The Marine Environment	34
	The Freshwater Environment	57
	References	85
	3 Terrestrial Environments	88
	Soil	89
	Micro-organisms and Higher Plants	106
	Other Terrestrial Habitats	123
	References	129
	4 Extreme Environments	132
	High Temperature Environments	133
	Extremely Acidic Environments	138
	Highly Alkaline Environments	141
	Non-alkaline, Highly Saline Environments	145
	References	152
	Appendices	153
	I: Development of the Microflora in a Flooded Gravel Pit	153
	II: The Great Goldmine Mystery	154
	III: A Comparison of the Microbiological Profile of the Soil on Two Sides of a Valley	155
	Further Reading	156
	Index	157
	A	157
	B	157
	C	158
	D	158
	E	158
	F	158
	G	159
	H	159
	I	159
	J	159
	L	159
	M	159
	N	159
	O	160
	P	160
	R	160
	S	160
	T	161
	U	161
	V	161
	W	161
	X	161
	Y	161
	Z	161