▁In ▁creating ▁the ▁book , ▁their ▁intention ▁was ▁to ▁illustrate ▁the ▁complexity ▁and ▁inter connect ivity ▁of ▁this ▁e cos ystem ▁by ▁foc using ▁on ▁one ▁tree ' s ▁role ▁over ▁time . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁consists ▁of ▁five ▁chap ters : ▁" B irth ", ▁" T aking ▁Root ", ▁" G row th ", ▁" M atur ity ", ▁and ▁" De ath ". ▁The ▁book ▁opens ▁with ▁acknowled g ments ▁and ▁an ▁introduction , ▁and ▁clos es ▁with ▁selected ▁references ▁and ▁an ▁index . ▁In ▁the ▁introduction , ▁Su zu ki ▁describes ▁the ▁tree ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁and ▁the ▁series ▁of ▁ideas ▁and ▁events ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁writing ▁of ▁the ▁book . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁narr ative ▁of ▁the ▁tree ' s ▁life , ▁the ▁book ▁includes ▁dig ress ions ▁into ▁related ▁topics , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁bot any ▁and ▁animal ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁forest . ▁The ▁tree ▁written ▁about ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁is ▁not ▁any ▁specific ▁Douglas - fir , ▁but ▁rather ▁a ▁generic ▁one . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁chapter , ▁" B irth ", ▁begins ▁with ▁light ning ▁starting ▁a ▁forest ▁fire . ▁The ▁heat ▁d ries ▁the ▁Douglas - fir ▁con es ▁enough ▁for ▁their ▁scales ▁to ▁spread ▁and ▁release ▁wing ed ▁se eds . ▁Rain ▁water ▁trans ports ▁one ▁seed ▁to ▁a ▁sun lit ▁area ▁with ▁well - dra ined ▁soil . ▁Rod ents ▁and ▁insect iv ores , ▁whose ▁food ▁st ash es ▁were ▁destroyed ▁in ▁the ▁fire