Thurston Lava Tubes, Volcano National Park, Hawaii -- These ferns also contain cores that can contain 50 pounds of starch. This attracts feral pigs who pretty well trash this place. Rangers kicked out the pigs and installed cattle guards to keep them out for good. (The pigs supposedly responded "moi!!) They are working on removing the alien plants to restore this place to what a real Hawaiian rain forest looks like. Unlike most rain forests, Hawaii's do not have a tree canopies and so their endemic species have little protection. Hawaii has the only tropical rain forests in the US (except for my backyard during Houston's mosquito season) and has more endangered species per square mile than anywhere else.

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