This was our second visit to Yosemite and we were shocked to see the trees dying, caused by a combination of an extended drought and an infestation of bark beetle. Drought ravages the natural defences of these Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) trees, providing an opportunity for the bark beetle to attack. Over 2.4M trees were dead within about 131,000 acres as a result.

Once again, we could see climate change in action - speeding up natural disasters.

Finalist - Plants & Planet