Habitat selection, territorial behaviour and reproductive behaviour of dragonflies (Odonata) are discussed and biotic and abiotic factors affecting their territorial and reproductive behaviour are reviewed. The most important biotic factors are predation risk affecting larval survival and the presence of aquatic vegetation, which provides spatial structure. The review is complemented by a field study of territorial and reproductive behavior of dragonflies at an experimental site, at which the quality of individual pools was manipulated by a combination of the presence or absence of artificial vegetation and the presence or absence of an introduced top predator (late-instar larvae of Anax and Aeshna).