Ingo Arndt / Magnetic Termite (Amitermes meridionalis) mounds in grassland, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory, Australia.

Ingo Arndt / Bower of Vogelkop bowerbird (Amblyornis inornatus) front entrance of bower decorated with red fruit and acorns, Arfak Mountains, West Papua, Indonesia.

Sven Zacek / Hepatica (Hepatica nobilis) white morph and normal blue morph, Southern Estonia, April.

Cyril Ruoso / Puya flowers (Puya sp) Cordillera Blanca Massif, Andes, Peru.

Russell Cooper / Blackening waxcap fungus (Hygrocybe sp.) New Forest, Hampshire, UK.

Alex Hyde / Cable cars at Fiss, Nordtirol, Austrian Alps, June 2014.

Merryn Thomas,Merryn Thomas / Black and white image of three punts, Mevagissey, Cornwall, England, January.

Michael Pitts,Michael Pitts / Engine room ventilator shafts of oil tanker 'Seiko Maru'. Sunk in Chuuk Lagoon 17/18th February 1944, Chuuk Lagoon, Pacific

Bence Mate / Leaf cutter ants (Atta cephalotes) carrying sections of leaves, to be used for cultivating nutritious fungi, Santa Rita, Costa Rica

Colin Varndell / Fresh Wych elm (Ulmus glabra) leaves in spring. Dorset, UK May

Kirkendall-Spring / Marengo Wind Facility near Dayton. Washington, USA. August 2011.

Nick Garbutt / Large aerial pitchers of natural hybrid Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes stenophylla x Nepenthes veitchi). Montane mossy heath forest or 'kerangas', southern plateau, Maliau Basin, Sabah's 'Lost World', Borne...

Ernie Janes / Three fishing boats wrecked on the coast in winter storms, Pembrokeshire, UK,

Rob Tilley / Aphelandra (Acanthus sp) flowering. Oahu, Hawaii, February.

Jeff Rotman / Irula Snake Tribe member holding vials of snake anti-venom for Viper, Krait and Cobra bites. Southern India.

Ernie Janes / Hedge sparrow / Dunnock (Prunella modularis) nest with three eggs, nest exposed in hedge by summer hedge cutting, UK

Sandra Bartocha / Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) on lake shore in hazy sunset light. Neubrandenburg, Mecklenburg, Western Pomerania, Germany. Winner, In Praise of Plants category, WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMP...

Inaki Relanzon / Star trails above Baobab trees (Adansonia za) at night, Zombitse National Park, Madagascar, June 2010

Michel Poinsignon / Red helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra) in flower, Lorraine, France, June

Guy Edwardes / Arctic River beauty (Chamerion latifolium) flowering, Landmannalauger, Iceland, June

Edwin Giesbers / Alkanet flowers (Anchusa sp) Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

David Woodfall / Children searching for recyclable objects in landfill site, Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 2008

Eric Baccega / Cable car over Mer de Glace glacier, Mont Blanc, Alps, France, July 2001

Albert Lleal / Common Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea) SEM close-up view of pollen at 210x magnification

Mark Raycroft / Border Collie (Canis familiaris) adult with three tennis balls in its mouth, waiting to play fetch

Michael Quinton / Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) parent protecting eggs in nest, North America

Mark Raycroft / Weimaraner (Canis familiaris) puppy with blue eyes, head cocked curiously

Mark Moffett / Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) workers carrying leaves to nest, French Guiana

Konrad Wothe / Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) close up of leaves, medicinal plant, Germany

Fred Bavendam / Pacific Giant Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) female guarding her eggs, Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada

Tom Vezo / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) sitting on eggs in nest on ground, Long Island, New York

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Smokestacks spewing smoke, Navajo generating station near Page, Arizona

Tim Fitzharris / Plains Pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha), Arches National Park, Utah

Gerry Ellis / Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) nest with three eggs, Costa Rica

Konrad Wothe / Cardon (Pachycereus pringlei) cactus photographed by tourist, largest cacti in the world and may live over 200 years, Sonoran Desert, Baja California, Mexico

Flip de Nooyer / Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) adult female at down nest with eggs, Europe

Konrad Wothe / Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) trees and beach, Dominican Republic

Norbert Wu / Bumblebee (Bombus sp) collecting pollen from a daisy, California

Mark Moffett / Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) tree with corns and leaves at base of it, Massachusetts

Fred Bavendam / Stromatolites, colonies of blue-green algae, the oldest life form that still exists today fossils dated to over three billion years ago, Hamelin pool, Western Australia

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) at nest with eggs, Texas

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) nest in restored salt pond with shells laid by biologists to increase camouflage possibilities for adults, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, Cali...

Tui De Roy / Nazca Booby (Sula granti) incubating eggs, Wolf Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) on nest with eggs along coast, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) on nest with eggs along coast, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Thomas Marent / Fungus (Marasmiellus sp) mushrooms, Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombia

Thomas Marent / Cup Fungus (Cookeina sp) mushrooms, Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombia

Steve Gettle / Small Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) flowers, northern Michigan

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) nest in restored salt pond with shells laid by biologists to increase camouflage possibilities for adults, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, Cali...

Nick Turner / Ancient Beech trees (Fagus sylvatica), Lineover Wood, Gloucestershire UK. The second largest Beech tree in England. November 2015.

Theo Allofs / Hot air balloons over grassland, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) collar and gps data on computer, Santa Cruz Puma Project, Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Konrad Wothe / Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) on nest with eggs, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Solvin Zankl / Copse snail (Arianta arbustorum) on oak tree branch in rain, Nationalpark Hohe Tauern / High Tauern National Park, Austria. May.

Jeff Rotman / Fish processing boat during Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) spawning run, Naknek River, Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA, July 2015.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Toadstool shaped hoodoos at sunset, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA, February 2015.

Alex Mustard / Diver swimming through Tolberone Tunnel, a triangular tunnel through the middle of an island in Raja Ampat. Giant barrel sponges (Xestospongia muta) growing on the floor of the tunnel, which have an u...

Konrad Wothe / Russet-backed Oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons) nests in blooming Coral Tree (Erythrina sp) in lowland rainforest, Panguana Nature Reserve, Peru

Colin Varndell / Marsh ragwort (Senecio aquaticus) flower and buds. Dorset, UK July.

Anup Shah / Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchellii) herd watched by tourists in hot air balloons, Mara River, Masai Mara, Kenya

Pete Oxford / Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) being sold in market, Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji

D. Parer & E. Parer-Cook / Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri) eggs in nest cavity, Murray-Sunset National Park, Victoria, Australia

Pal Hermansen / Colourful corn (Zea mays) seeds against white background.

Winfried Wisniewski / Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) nest with eggs, Varanger Peninsula, Norway

Steve Gettle / Greater Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita) flowers, North America

Duncan Usher / Wind turbines on agricultural fields, Germany

Duncan Usher / Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) female on nest with eggs, Germany

Tui De Roy / Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) on nest with eggs, Santa Cruz Island, Ecuador

Glenn Bartley / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) eggs in ground nest, British Columbia, Canada

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Gray-cheeked Mangabey (Lophocebus albigena) being pulled out of bag by National Park guard during illegal bushmeat seizure, Lope National Park, Gabon

Michael Quinton / Willow (Salix sp) catkins and mosquito, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska

Eric Baccega / Three Shaggy ink cap fungi (Coprinus comatus) growing in a field, Alsace, France, October.

Chien Lee / Cup Fungus (Cookeina tricholoma) mushrooms, Borneo, Malaysia

Cyril Ruoso / Cardon (Pachycereus pringlei) cactus flowers and bees, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Cyril Ruoso / Indian Comb (Pachycereus pectenaboriginum) cacti in lava field of the Volcan de las Virgenes, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Cyril Ruoso / Indian Comb (Pachycereus pectenaboriginum) cacti in lava field of the Volcan de las Virgenes, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Cyril Ruoso / Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) eggs in nest, Iceland

Cyril Ruoso / Variegated Greater Pond Sedge (Carex riparia) flowering, France

Cyril Ruoso / Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) this coat was not confiscated because it was obvious that it is at least 40 years old and was made before the Snow Leopard pelt trade was forbidden, three animals have been...

Cyril Ruoso / Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) female and young using a tool to eat fruits inside a box, native to Africa

Cyril Ruoso / Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) trio walking on telephone lines, Thailand

Cyril Ruoso / Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) mother with two young walking among barbed wire, Thailand

Cyril Ruoso / Bonobo (Pan paniscus) using rocks as a hammer and anvil to crack open nuts, ABC Sanctuary, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Barrie Britton / Darwin's Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale) species which is pollinated by a long-tongued moth, from Ambila, Madagascar. Photograph taken on location for BBC 'Wild Madagascar' Series, August 2009.

Konrad Wothe / Rosy Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) flowers, Madagascar

Alex Hyde / Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) seed coated in hoar frost. Peak District National Park, UK. December.

Ross Hoddinott / Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) on wheat stem, Devon, UK captive

Pete Oxford / Cup Fungus (Cookeina tricholoma) trio growing out of log, Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador

Tom Vezo / Opuntia (Opuntia sp) buds, southeast Arizona

Pete Oxford / Jaguar (Panthera onca) footprints and handprint, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Martin Willis / Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii) nest of spider webs and bark camouflaged in the fork of a tree contains three dark blotched blue eggs, Bourke, New South Wales, Australia

Konrad Wothe / Common Fig (Ficus carica) fruiting, Europe

Pete Oxford / Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) egg hatching, Lake Hovsgol, Mongolia

Chien Lee / Rhododendron (Rhododendron makinoi) flowers, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Reinwardt's Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes reinwardtiana) pitchers, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

Piotr Naskrecki / Bird's Nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve) mushrooms with peridioles, Woburn, Massachusetts