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

Juan Carlos Munoz / Commerical fishing boat passes through the Parque Natural del Estrecho, off Costa de la Luz, Cadiz, Andalucia, Spain, July 2008

Adrian Davies / Colourful Honey bee (Apis mellifera) hives in fields, Crete, Greece. July 2010

Adrian Davies / Insect hotel / Artificial nest holes and shelter for insects and invertebrates, in garden, England, UK, August 2010

Alex Hyde / Panther Chameleon {Furcifer pardalis} close-up of skin, green colouration. Masoala Peninsula National Park, north east Madagascar.

Alex Hyde / Boabab trees {Adansonia grandidieri} in evening light. Morondava, Madagascar, October 2009

Alex Hyde / Boabab trees {Adansonia grandidieri} in evening light. Morondava, Madagascar, October 2009

Alex Hyde / Boabab trees {Adansonia grandidieri} silhouetted at sunset. Morondava, Madagascar, October 2009

Alex Hyde / Close-up of the extendable silk net of the Ogre faced / Net-casting spider {Deinopis sp}, Masoala Peninsula National Park, north east Madagascar.

Alex Hyde / Boabab trees {Adansonia grandidieri} in evening light. Morondava, Madagascar. Digital Composite Panorama.

Juan Manuel Borrero / Upturned canoes (caballitos) owned by the Fishermen of Totora, on Pimentel beach at sunset. Chiclayo. Peru November 2009

Guy Edwardes / View of pipework and Geothermal power plant, Reykjanesvirkjun, South West Iceland, July 2009

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

Guy Edwardes / Beads of water trapped on vibrant green moss Landmannalaugar, Southern Iceland, July 2009.

Guy Edwardes / Wind turbines near Kilmore Quay viewed from boat at dawn. Co. Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Europe June 2010.

Philippe Clement / Lightning during thunderstorm above petrochemical industry seen through magnifying glass held against illuminated globe of the earth Digital composite

Philippe Clement / Oosterscheldekering / Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, the largest of 13 dams designed to protect the Netherlands from flooding. Neeltje Jans, Netherlands, March 2010

Solvin Zankl / The community of Ostional on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, runs a project of sustainable use of eggs of the Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). The eggs, a popular snack in Costa Rica,...

Mary McDonald / Flock of Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) in roosting trees at dusk, Imba Ndutu, Serengeti NP, Tanzania, East Africa.

Nick Garbutt / Ox cart and Grandidier's Baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri) Near Morondava, western Madagascar.

Nick Garbutt / Grandidier's Baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri) at dusk. Near Morondava, western Madagascar. (digitally stitched image)

Laurent Geslin / Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) eggs, collected from Lake of Geneva, France, December 2007.

David Noton / Autumn colours of the Aspen trees (Populus tremula) in the snow, near Muleshoe, Bow Valley Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. October 2009

Sandra Bartocha / Gespensterwald (ghostly forest) - European Beech forest (Fagus sylvatica), Nienhagen, Germany.

Sandra Bartocha / Gespensterwald (ghostly forest) - European Beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) in snow, Nienhagen, Germany. RUNNER-UP: Creative Visions of Nature - Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

David Woodfall / Pile of scrap cars prior to being recycled. England, UK July 2009

David Woodfall / Pile of scrap cars prior to being recycled. England, UK July 2009

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

Edwin Giesbers / Balearic orchid (Ophrys balearica) flowers, Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

Edwin Giesbers / Borage (Borago officinalis) flowers, Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

Edwin Giesbers / Crown daisy flower (Glebionis coronarium) Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe

Aflo / American shorthair kitten walking behind objects

Stephen Dalton / Water dripping from tip of leaf, UK

Stephen Dalton / Large red damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) in flight over Plantain flowers, UK

Neil Lucas / Stems of Giant bamboo (Cathariostachys) Rakusai Bamboo Park, Japan

Neil Lucas / Giant bamboo (Cathariostachys) forest, Kyoto, Japan, February 2008

Edwin Giesbers / Air bubbles trapped in ice, the Netherlands

Colin Varndell / Hazel catkins (Corylus avellana) releasing pollen. Dorset, England, UK February

Neil Lucas / Dragons blood trees (Dracena cinnibaris) and Desert rose (Adenium obesum socotranum) in Momi Valley, Socotra Island, Yemen, February 2008

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

David Woodfall / Children looking for recyclable objects in landfill site, Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 2008

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

Philip Stephen / Fishing vessel "Harvester" and the "Jotun B" oil production platform. North Sea, May 2010.

Simon Colmer / White mustard (Sinapis alba) seedlings illustrating phototropism (growing towards the light) England, UK

Sandra Bartocha / Red-flowered Cowslip (Primula veris), Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany

Sandra Bartocha / Oxeye/Marguerite daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare), Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany.

Juergen Freund / Fred Gurgel organizing his algae / seaweed specimens, as part of the Coral Reef census, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia, April 2008

Juergen Freund / Invertebrate specimens for the Barcode of Life project of French scientist Laetitia Plaisance as part of the Coral Reef census, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia, April 2008

Jean E. Roche / Aerial view of Grande Motte marina, a tourist complex in the Languedoc, France, June 2008

Doug Allan / Close up of two stone sculptures / Moai at Ahu Ahivi/Ahu Akivi , Easter Island, South PacificMoai October 2009

Patricio Robles Gil / Barrel cactus (Ferocactus pilosus) Chihuahuan desert, Mexico

Sven Zacek / Fronds of Horsetail (Equisetum) in Spring, Estonia.

Albert Lleal / Trilobite fossils, Spain

Wild Wonders of Europe / Radisics / Fragrant water lilies (Nymphaea odorata) in Lake Skadar, Montenegro, May 2008

Chien Lee / Pitcher Plant (Heliamphora pulchella), Venezuela

Jack Dykinga / Saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) at sunset in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, near the Sutherland Wash, Catalina State Park, Arizona, USA

SINCLAIR STAMMERS / Photomicrograph of fully embryonated (Neoascaris / Toxocara vitulorum) eggs containin larvae immediately prior to hatching. Parasitic nematodes which normally infect cattle, collected from Egyptian ca...

Jack Dykinga / Havasu Falls cascade behind Fremont cottonwood trees (Populus fremontii) glowing in reflected canyon light, Havasupai Reservation, Arizona, USA

Paul Hobson / Two trees covered in hoar frost, Peak District, UK, New years day 2009

Albert Lleal / Pollen of different species photographed under a microscope, Spain

Ingo Arndt / Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) eggs, fish already visible through egg-shell, Europe

Thomas Marent / Fluorescent Fungus (Mycena illuminans) glowing at night, Danum Valley Conservation Area, Borneo, Malaysia

Thomas Marent / Fluorescent Fungus (Mycena illuminans) glowing at night, Danum Valley Conservation Area, Borneo, Malaysia

Scott Leslie / Frog egg mass, Nova Scotia, Canada

Tim Fitzharris / California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) flowers, Antelope Valley, California

Albert Lleal / Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum sp) SEM close-up view of pollen at 560x magnification

Albert Lleal / Common Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) SEM close-up view of pollen grains at 1050x magnification

Albert Lleal / Diatom (Diadesmis contenta) group SEM close-up view at 1400x magnification

Albert Lleal / Common Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) SEM close-up view of pollen grains at 700x magnification

Albert Lleal / Trumpet Lily (Lilium longiflorum) SEM close-up view of pollen grains at 105x magnification

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

Michael Durham / Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) eggs at ten weeks after spawning, Washington

Jack Dykinga / Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) pine cone and needles in the snow, South Rim, Grand Canyon NP, Arizona, USA

Thomas Marent / Common Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), Switzerland

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Cup Fungus (Cookeina tricholoma) group of five growing out of log, Costa Rica

Piotr Naskrecki / Eggs of an unidentified insect, Guinea, West Africa

Pete Oxford / Child selling necklaces on the beach made from seeds and shells found locally, Mangily, near Ifaty, southwestern Madagascar

Konrad Wothe / Forest in autumn, Bavaria, Germany

Tim Fitzharris / Full moon over Mono Lake with wind and rain eroded tufa towers and the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background, California

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

Michael Durham / Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) raiding urban garbage, common pest species native to Europe, introduced worldwide

Michael Durham / Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) in rain, native to Central and South America

Michael Durham / Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) in rain, native to Central and South America

Michael Durham / Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas) in rain, native to Central and South America

Tim Fitzharris / Pointed Phlox (Phlox cuspidata) and Indian Paintbrushes (Castilleja miniata) in bloom, Hill Country, Texas

Tim Fitzharris / Looking up at blue sky through a canopy of fall colored Aspen trees, Colorado

Tim Fitzharris / Fallen autumn colored Aspen leaves on the ground covered in dew droplets, Colorado

Konrad Wothe / Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla sp) on hillside beneath shining sun, Barakchin Island, Lake Baikal, Russia

Katherine Feng / Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) baby being weighed on a scale at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong Nature Reserve, China

Mitsuaki Iwago / Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) female laying eggs in nest on beach, endangered, Hawaii

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

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Quiver Tree (Aloe dichotoma) at dusk, Kokerboom Reserve, Keetmanshoop, Namibia

Gerry Ellis / African Lion (Panthera leo) kill surrounded by tourists, Tanzania border, Kenya