va e ▁eat ▁the ▁bud s ▁and ▁the ▁fung us ▁spread s ▁into ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁tree ▁and ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁roots . ▁With ▁its ▁v asc ular ▁t issue ▁system ▁comprom ised , ▁the ▁tree ▁diver ts ▁nut ri ents ▁elsewhere , ▁resulting ▁in ▁need les ▁turning ▁orange ▁on ▁the ▁abandoned ▁branches . ▁Death ▁takes ▁years ▁to ▁occur ▁as ▁success ive ▁parts ▁are ▁slowly ▁star ved ▁of ▁nut ri ents . ▁As ▁a ▁sn ag , ▁it ▁becomes ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁succession ▁of ▁animals , ▁like ▁wood pe ck ers , ▁ow ls , ▁squ ir rel s , ▁and ▁b ats . ▁Event ually ▁the ▁roots ▁rot ▁enough ▁that ▁a ▁ra inst orm ▁blow s ▁it ▁down . ▁M oss es ▁and ▁fung i ▁grow ▁on ▁the ▁dead fall , ▁followed ▁by ▁colon ies ▁of ▁term ites , ▁an ts , ▁and ▁mit es , ▁which ▁all ▁help ▁de compose ▁the ▁remaining ▁wood . ▁ ▁Gen re ▁and ▁style ▁Tree ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁science ▁book , ▁intended ▁to ▁profile ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁single ▁tree ▁using ▁termin ology ▁target ed ▁at ▁a ▁general ▁audience . ▁The ▁narr ative ▁provides ▁e colog ical ▁context , ▁describing ▁animals ▁and ▁plants ▁that ▁interact ▁with ▁the ▁tree , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁historical ▁context . ▁Par alle ls ▁to ▁the ▁tree ' s ▁age ▁are ▁made ▁with ▁historical ▁events , ▁like ▁the ▁tree ▁taking ▁root ▁as ▁empir ical ▁science ▁was ▁taking ▁root ▁in ▁Europe ▁during ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁phil os opher