Examines the interrelations of multifaceted tillage practices and the biological, chemical, and physical components of soil ecosystems. Tillage effects are highlighted within the context of the whole farming system to stress that these other components greatly affect the responses of soil ecosystems. The first of the 12 chapters describe the machinery and techniques used to till soil, and discuss the implications of tillage for microbial communities and nutrient dynamics with respect to sustainable management of farming systems. The remaining chapters assess the influence of soil tillage on crop and weed seeds, arable crop diseases, slugs, earthworms, and epigeal predatory arthropods.