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

Charlie Summers / Skull of African buffalo with horns covered in larval cases of Horn moth, Tineidae possibly Ceratophaga vastella. The larva of this moth feed on keratin.

Claudio Contreras / Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) decomposing body, San Benedicto Island, Revillagigedo Archipelago Biosphere Reserve / Archipielago de Revillagigedo UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site (Socorro Islands), Pa...

Alex Hyde / Fungal mycelium from an unidentified species of fungus, growing across a decomposing leaf. The mycelium is the vegetative part of the fungus and is made up of a mass of thread-like hyphae. Osa Peninsu...

Konrad Wothe / Mushrooms on tree trunk, Panguana Nature Reserve, Peru

Konrad Wothe / Mushrooms on tree trunk, Panguana Nature Reserve, Peru

Heike Odermatt / Slime Mold (Fuligo septica) on rotting wood with moss in beech forest, Netherlands

Dong Lei / Lake with decomposing logs, Kawakarpo Mountain, Meri Snow Mountain National Park, Yunnan Province, China.

Adrian Davies / Slime Mould (Reticularia lycoperdon) massed sporangia on rotting Birch log. Surrey, England, UK, August 2013.

Adrian Davies / Slime Mould (Reticularia lycoperdon) massed sporangia on rotting Birch log. Surrey, England, UK, August 2013.

Adrian Davies / Mould (Penicillin italicum) growing on a Satsuma (Citrus unshi)

Adrian Davies / Mould (Penicillin italicum) growing on a Satsuma (Citrus unshiu)

Pal Hermansen / Panoramic of abandoned cars in a 'car graveyard', Bastnas, Sweden. April

Pal Hermansen / Young wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) in old abandoned car in a 'car graveyard' Bastnas, Sweden

Pal Hermansen / Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) feeding chicks at nest in abandoned Opel car in 'car graveyard' Varmland, Sweden, June

Pal Hermansen / Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) at nest in abandoned Opel car in 'car graveyard' Varmland, Sweden, June

Pal Hermansen / Old abandoned cars stacked on atop the other in 'car graveyard' at night, Bastnas, Sweden April

Pal Hermansen / Old abandoned cars stacked on atop the other in 'car graveyard' at night, Bastnas, Sweden April

Pal Hermansen / Song thrush (Turdus philomelos) nesting in an old abandoned Opel car in a 'car graveyard' Varmland, Sweden

Pal Hermansen / Abandoned rusty car in 'car graveyard' acting as a greenhouse with plants growing inside, Varmland, Sweden, July

Pal Hermansen / Abandoned rusty car in 'car graveyard' acting as a greenhouse with plants growing inside, Varmland, Sweden, July

Pal Hermansen / Song thrush (Turdus philomelos) nesting in abandoned car in 'car graveyard' Varmland, Sweden, July

Pal Hermansen / Lichen-covered steering wheel, in old abandoned car in 'car graveyard' Varmland, Sweden

Pal Hermansen / Northern Wall Brown (Lasiommata petropolitana) resting on an old abandoned car in a 'car graveyard', Bastnas, Sweden. June

Pal Hermansen / Old car covered in snow in 'Car graveyard' Bastnas, Sweden, December

Pal Hermansen / Tree growing from inside abandoned car in 'car graveyard' Bastnas, Sweden, December

Pal Hermansen / Ferns growing between abandoned cars, in 'car graveyard' Varmland, Sweden, July

Pal Hermansen / Trees growing through abandoned cars in 'car graveyard' Bastnas, Sweden, December

Pal Hermansen / Rear view of old abandoned car covered in snow, in 'car graveyard', Bastnas, Sweden. December

Pal Hermansen / Buttercups (Ranunculus sp) flowering amongst abandoned cars, in 'car graveyard', Varmland, Sweden

Pal Hermansen / Rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) in flower by abandoned car in 'car graveyard', Bastnas, Sweden. July

Pal Hermansen / Rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) in flower by abandoned car in 'car graveyard', Bastnas, Sweden. July

Pal Hermansen / Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) on bonnet of a rusty abandoned car in a 'car graveyard' Bastnas, Sweden, April

Pal Hermansen / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) feeding sat on moss covered car in 'car graveyard' , Bastnas, Sweden. January

Pal Hermansen / One car headlight visible through a tangle of branches in a 'car graveyard' Bastnas, Sweden. January

Pal Hermansen / Abandoned cars in a 'car graveyard' with moss and lichen covered trees growing between, Bastnas, Sweden, January

Cyril Ruoso / Leaf infested by parasites, Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Juergen Freund / Land snail on a decaying leaf in the forest, Bako National Park, Sarawak, Australia

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) mature male feeding on ants eggs found in decomposing leaves, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Bartocha / Pristine Beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Fir (Abies sp) forest with fallen logs decomposing, Stramba Valley, Fagaras Mountains, Southern Carpathians, Romania, July. Natura 2000 site

Wild Wonders of Europe / Bartocha / Fallen beech tree (Fagus sylvatica) decomposing in pristine Beech-Fir forest, Runcu Valley, Dambovita County, Leota Mountain Range, Romania, July

Wild Wonders of Europe / Bartocha / Pristine beech (Fagus sylvatica) and fir forest (Abies sp) with fallen log decomposing on the forest floor, Runcu Valley, Dambovita County, Leota Mountain Range, Romania, July

Hiroya Minakuchi / Shelving fungus, Danum Valley, Malaysia

Hiroya Minakuchi / Fallen leaves, Danum Valley, Malaysia

David Shale / Decomposing whale bone and epifauna. Collected from coral sea mount near Dragon vent field on SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean.

David Shale / Decomposing whale bone and epifauna. Collected from coral sea mount near Dragon vent field on SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Red mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle) leaves and a seed pod decomposing on the seabed. Mangrove leaves are shed so frequently that an acre of red mangrove will drop about 3 tons a year, North Sound,...

Klaus Echle / Young Badger (Meles meles) investigating a decomposing skull. The Black Forest, Germany, May.

Doug Perrine / Female Chum / Dog / Silverbrite / Keta salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in spawning stream, body decomposing in preparation for death after spawning, Bear Trap, Port Gravina, Prince William Sound, Alaska, U...

Simon Colmer / Lake limpet (Acroloxus lacustris) on decomposing leaf, underwater, Sussex, UK

Jouan & Rius / Detail of veins in decomposing leaf, tropical rainforest, Borneo, Sarawak, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Rafflesia (Rafflesia tuan-mudae) quickly decays several days after blooming, Gunung Braang, Padawan, Malaysia

Tim Laman / Strangler Fig (Ficus sp.) tree with decomposing host tree visible in the center. Lowland rainforest in Borneo. Gunung Palung National Park, Indonesia.

Thomas Marent / Mushroom pair, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru

Thomas Marent / Red mushrooms on forest floor, Mission Beach, Australia

Adrian Davies / Granny's Bonnet Fungus {Mycena inclinata} growing on decomposing wood amongst moss, UK

Duncan Mcewan / Parasitic fungus {Asterophora parasitica} growing on decomposing cap of {Russula sp} toadstool, Scotland

Doug Wechsler / Artist's palette, green colour comes from decomposing mica, Badlands, Death Valley NP, California, USA

Philippe Clement / Glistening ink cap toadstools {Coprinus micaceus} on decomposing trunk Belgium

Michio Hoshino / Temperate rainforest vegetation, Tongass National Forest, Alaska

WILLIAM OSBORN / Fallen Scots Pine tree with holes from wood boring insects Pinus sylvestris}

Jaymi Heimbuch / Moss growing on fallen log, Oregon

Michael Quinton / Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) decomposing as it prepares to spawn, Prince William Sound, Alaska

Heike Odermatt / Slime Mold (Fuligo septica) on rotting wood with moss in beech forest, Netherlands

Chien Lee / Mushrooms sprout from mound of elephant dung in rainforest, Royal Belum State Park, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Mushrooms sprout from a rotting log, Gunung Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Fungi on decomposing log, Danum Valley, Borneo, Malaysia

Mitsuaki Iwago / Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) bones, Africa

Sergio Hanquet / Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) head and part of body, decomposing carcass adrift in the ocean, showing shark bites, and possible damage from a boat, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean.

Sergio Hanquet / Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) head and part of body, decomposing carcass adrift in the ocean, showing shark bites, and possible damage from a boat, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean.

Sergio Hanquet / Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) head and part of body, decomposing carcass adrift in the ocean, showing signs of predation by sharks and possible damage from a boat, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Atl...

Sergio Hanquet / Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) head and part of body, decomposing carcass adrift in the ocean, showing signs of predation by sharks and possible damage from a boat, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Atl...

Sergio Hanquet / Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) head and part of body, decomposing carcass adrift in the ocean, showing signs of predation by sharks and possible damage from a boat, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Atl...

Staffan Widstrand / Ancient pine forest in Muddus National Park, Sweden, with old dead trees lying on forest floor, slowly decomposing.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Diderma globulosum) sporangia starting to crack open on decomposing leaf. Buckinghamshire, England, UK. October. Focus stacked.

Staffan Widstrand / Tree trunk decomposing, covered with red and green vegetation. Old-growth pine forest, Muddus National Park, Laponia UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norrbotten, Lapland, Sweden September 2020

Staffan Widstrand / Tree trunk slowly decomposing, possibly over several hundred years. Old-growth pine forest, Muddus National Park, Laponia UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norrbotten, Lapland, Sweden September 2020

Staffan Widstrand / Tree trunk slowly decomposing, possibly over several hundred years. Old-growth pine forest, Muddus National Park, Laponia UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norrbotten, Lapland, Sweden September 2020

Staffan Widstrand / Tree trunk slowly decomposing, possibly over several hundred years. Old-growth pine forest, Muddus National Park, Laponia UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norrbotten, Lapland, Sweden September 2020

Staffan Widstrand / Tree trunk slowly decomposing, possibly over several hundred years. Old-growth pine forest, Muddus National Park, Laponia UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norrbotten, Lapland, Sweden September 2020

Staffan Widstrand / Tree trunk slowly decomposing, possibly over several hundred years. Old-growth pine forest, Muddus National Park, Laponia UNESCO World Heritage Site, Norrbotten, Lapland, Sweden September 2020

Nigel Cattlin / Mediterranean fruit fly larva (Ceratitis capitata) in Peach (Prunus persica) larva in decomposing Peach (Prunus persica) fruit