The chapters in this book comprise papers presented at the National Synthesis Symposium on the ecology of Biological Invasions held at Stellenbosch on 27-29 Nov. 1985. Chapters are grouped under the headings: historical perspectives (3 chapters), faunal invasions and their control (2 chapters), the invasion of southern Africa's biomes (5 chapters), towards understanding the ecology of biological invasions (7 chapters), impacts of invasions (3 chapters) and managing invasive alien plants (5 chapters).