Explores the life and afterlife of three trees growing along a river: a spruce in the Colorado Rockies, a western red cedar in Washington, and a balsam poplar in Canada. Each tree is enmeshed in a biological community during its lifetime and continues to support other forms of life after death.
Rivers are often viewed merely as channels for water flow, but this work challenges that perspective by presenting them as complex ecosystems. It explores how engineering practices, such as channelization and flood control, can disrupt these ecosystems in unforeseen ways. The book emphasizes the intricate relationships within a river's environment and the broader impacts of human activities on its health, encouraging readers to reconsider the ecological significance of rivers beyond their utilitarian functions.