Normally, if multiple Options directives apply to a directory, the most specific one is taken completely; the options are not merged.

However, if all the options on the Options directive are preceded by either a + or -symbol, the options are merged. Any options preceded by + are added to the options currently active, and any options preceded by - are removed.

For example, without any + or - symbols:

<Directory /home/httpd/docs>
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
</Directory>
<Directory /home/httpd/docs/shtml>
    Options Includes
</Directory>

Indexes and FollowSymLinks will be set for /home/httpd/docs/, but only Includes will be set for the /home/httpd/docs/shtml/ directory. However, if the second Options directive uses the + and -symbols:

<Directory /home/httpd/docs>
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
</Directory>
<Directory /home/httpd/docs/shtml>
    Options +Includes -Indexes
</Directory>

then the options FollowSymLinks and Includes will be set for the /home/httpd/docs/shtml/ directory.