A conifer seedling grew on the edge of a lake terrace undercut by waves and winter ice. In time, the young tree lost its footing and fell into the lake. Its roots were still anchored to the shore, and its crown and branches landed on the waterlogged trunk of a previously fallen tree. Over time, the top of the young, flexible tree shifted its growth upward. Then, later, as its submerged roots rotted, the tree died.

Though the details of the life and death of the tree shown in this photograph are uncertain, it’s upward shift in direction is clear. Called "gravitropism," cells are designed to monitor the tree's orientation, direct roots to follow gravity, and trunks to oppose it. As a result, the tree responded to its fall by using the sunken trunk underneath to support its ascendant growth.

Central Oregon's Paulina Lake lies in a caldera basin, a unique geological feature created by volcanic eruptions releasing the contents of a now-collapsed mountain that stood here half a million years ago. The caldera is still volcanically active, with dozens of eruptions during the past 10,000 years, the most recent being an obsidian flow 1,300 years ago. The lake is fed and warmed by mineral-rich hot springs underneath and around it. Its high mineral content feeds an active ecosystem and stains the shore's rocks and terrace white.

I took this photograph in 2022, toward the end of a wildfire-filled summer. As it happened, fire smoke created a muted backdrop highlighting this tree's spirited life struggle. Recently, I found the dead tree had since broken away from its roots and now lay resting atop the trunk in the lake.

Location research and commentary by James Baker.