s . ▁Less ▁than ▁ 0 . 1 % ▁of ▁se eds ▁surv ive ▁Douglas ▁squ ir rel s , ▁dark - ey ed ▁jun cos , ▁and ▁other ▁seed - e ating ▁animals . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁centuries , ▁the ▁tree ▁grows ▁th icker ▁and ▁t aller ▁as ▁success ive ▁rings ▁develop ▁around ▁its ▁tr unk ▁and ▁new ▁bud s ▁grow ▁on ▁the ▁branches . ▁The ▁tree ▁becomes ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁growth ▁forest ▁with ▁a ▁sh aded ▁and ▁d amp ▁under story ▁of ▁broad leaf ▁trees , ▁shr ubs , ▁and ▁f ern s . ▁In ▁the ▁can opy , ▁a ▁mat ▁of ▁dead ▁need les ▁and ▁l ichen ▁accum ulate ▁on ▁the ▁wide ▁upper ▁branches . ▁Ex posed ▁to ▁light , ▁air , ▁and ▁rain , ▁the ▁need les ▁de compose ▁and ▁the ▁mat ▁becomes ▁colon ized ▁by ▁insect s , ▁fung us , ▁and ▁new ▁plants . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁final ▁chapter , ▁" De ath ", ▁the ▁tree ▁is ▁ 5 5 0   year s ▁old ▁and ▁stands ▁ 8 0   met ers ▁( 2 6 0   fe et ) ▁tall . ▁Under ▁the ▁weight ▁of ▁too ▁much ▁snow ▁accum ulating ▁on ▁the ▁can opy ▁mat , ▁a ▁branch ▁breaks ▁off . ▁Str esses ▁from ▁a ▁long ▁winter ▁with ▁a ▁dry ▁summer ▁weak en ▁the ▁tree ' s ▁imm une ▁system . ▁The ▁exposed ▁area ▁where ▁the ▁branch ▁broke ▁becomes ▁inf ected ▁with ▁insect s ▁and ▁fung us . ▁In sect ▁lar