Mountainous countryside near Maelifellssandur, Myrdalsjökull Region, Iceland (map). Once the young lava fields of Iceland cool down, life begins anew little by little. Ice, wind and water flatten and carve out shapes to begin with, then, during the summer, bacteria, lichen and fungi prepare the soil for plants, in particular mosses which adapt to an environment which remains difficult. These plants colonise the most favourable sites and terrain little by little, forming a new ecosystem.

Photo by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

(via bigpicture.com)