Guy Edwardes / Stove in abandoned cottage, Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK. March 2014.

Floris van Breugel / Natural iridescent oil film from decaying leaves at the surface of a pool, with a cottonwood leaf floating. Escalante National Monument, Utah. November.

Jurgen Freund / Very old human skulls on a ledge in the karst limestone walls of a Raja Ampat island. Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, February 2010

Laurent Geslin / Common bee fly (Bombylius major) at rest with graffiti in the background, Paris, France.

Michael Hutchinson / Groundsel {Senecio sp} growing out of brick wall covered in colourful graffiti, Bristol, UK

Guy Edwardes / Close up of decaying Sycamore leaf (Acer pseudoplatanus) Devon, England, November 2008

Philippe Clement / Trembling Merulius / jelly rot (Phlebia tremellosa / Merulius tremellosus) and turkey tail / many zoned polypore (Trametes versicolor) on tree stump, France, October

Alex Mustard / RF - California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) with mouth open close to the camera. The milk teeth of this pup show decay, which is quite usual. Los Islotes, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Se...

Ashley Cooper / Electricity wires running through woodland near Ambleside in the Lake District, England, UK. May.

Ashley Cooper / Maggots on a dead sheep

Ashley Cooper / Mould growing on a lemon.

Ashley Cooper / Eroded cliff in Walney Island, where erosion has revealed buried landill, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, England, UK. June 2008

Ashley Cooper / Cows at edge of eroded cliff in Walney Island, where erosion has revealed buried landill, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, England, UK. June 2008

Ashley Cooper / Rotting tree stump in Daintree rainforest, northern Queensland, Australia, the oldest continuously forested rainforest area on the planet.

Ashley Cooper / Rotting tree stump in forest in Johnsons Canyon in the Banff National Park, Canadian Rockies, Canada, August 2012.

Nick Upton / Turkey tail fungus / Many zoned polypore (Trametes versicolor) growing on rotting log, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Cluster of Stump puffball fungi (Lycoperdon pyriforme) emerging from tree stump in deciduous woodland, Rutland, UK, November.

Nick Upton / Rufous milkcap (Lactarius rufus) emerging from woodland leaf litter, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Rufous milkcap fungi (Lactarius rufus) emerging from woodland leaf litter, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Puffball fungus (Lycoperdon sp.) emerging from moss-covered log in deciduous woodland, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Cramp Balls / King Alfred's Cakes fungus (Daldinia concentrica) growing on a rotten log in woodland, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Jelly ear / Jew's ear fungus (Auricularia auricula judae) growing from rotting Elder log in deciduous woodland, Wiltshire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Jelly ear / Jew's ear fungus (Auricularia auricula judae) growing from rotting Elder log in deciduous woodland, Wiltshire, UK, February.

Nick Upton / Young inkcap fungi (Coprinus sp.) emerging from rotting tree stump, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Clump of honey fungus (Armillaria mellea) growing among leaf litter, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Large clump of honey fungus (Armillaria mellea) growing from rotting treestump, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Bonnet mushrooms (Mycena sp.) growing from a rotting, moss-covered log in deciduous woodland, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Birch bracket fungus / polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) growing from dead silver birch tree, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Angels' bonnet mushrooms (Mycena arcangeliana) growing from a rotting log in deciduous woodland, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Angels' bonnet mushrooms (Mycena arcangeliana) growing from a rotting log in deciduous woodland, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Pal Hermansen / Moss covering abandoned car in car graveyard, Varmland, Sweden, December 2012.

Pal Hermansen / Light shining through the frost covered rear window of abandoned car, Car graveyard, Varmland, Sweden, December 2012.

Pal Hermansen / Dawn light shining over abandoned cars in car graveyard, Varmland, Sweden, December 2012.

Pal Hermansen / Frost covered abandoned car in car graveyard, Varmland, Sweden, December 2012.

Pal Hermansen / Steering wheel of abandoned car in car graveyard, Varmland, Sweden, December 2012.

Pal Hermansen / Tree growing through abandoned car in car graveyard, Varmland, Sweden, December 2012.

Fabrice Cahez / Toadstoosl on tree stump in forest, Vosges, France, November 2013

MYN / Andrew Snyder / Rotting Kufa sp. fruit, Chenapau, Guyana. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Will Watson / Sulphur-yellow slime mould (Fuligo septica), on dead wood, Llanerchaeron National Trust, Ceredigion, Wales, UK, August.

Will Watson / Sheep droppings coated with Sphaeotilus natans, a saprotrophic bacteria referred to as 'sewage fungus' in a pond, Wales, UK, September

Jabruson / Decaying African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) covered in maggots. Elephant shot and wounded by poachers but died later on in the forest, Lokoue Bai. Odzala-Kokoua National Park

Jabruson / Close up of maggots covering decaying African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). Elephant shot and wounded by poachers but died later on in the forest, Lokoue Bai. Odzala-Kokoua National P...

Jabruson / Decaying African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) covered in maggots. Elephant shot and wounded by poachers but died later on in the forest, Lokoue Bai. Odzala-Kokoua National Park

Jabruson / Decaying African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) covered in maggots. Elephant shot and wounded by poachers but died later on in the forest, Lokoue Bai. Odzala-Kokoua National Park

Jabruson / Decaying African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis) covered in maggots. Elephant shot and wounded by poachers but died later on in the forest, Lokoue Bai. Odzala-Kokoua National Park

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.

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