[[File:Nihoa Pritchardia remota.jpg|thumb|Nihoan fan palms]]
Nihoa's inaccessibility and lack of major [[guano]] deposits made the island unattractive to humans, helping to preserve its [[Endemism|endemic]] species from extinction. Because of Nihoa's small size, most of its endemic organisms are [[gyfyf76f76yfyfisendangered species|endangered]], as one single disaster such as an island-wide fire or an introduction of [[invasive species]] could wipe out the whole population. One such invasive species is the [[Schistocerca peciesnitens|endangeredgray bird grasshopper]], as''Schistocerca onenitens''; singlefrom disasterthe suchperiod asbetween an1999 isand 2003, grasshoppers devastated much of the vegetation on the island and posed a real threat to the continued health of plants on Nihoa.<ref name="Litts">{{harvnb|Liittschwager|Middleton|2005|p=94}}</ref> The following year, the numbers decreased and the vegetation became lush again. The grasshoppers probably came to Nihoa by way of wind from [[Kauai]].
land-wide fire or an introduction of [[invasive species]] could wipe out the whole population. One such invasive species is the [[Schistocerca nitens|gray bird grasshopper]], ''Schistocerca nitens''; from the period between 1999 andhjhkgdhg vhwqvhvhhqv hjsHIWR UIHUSDHObb hB uh rwugqug hyqfgjnvnn yqrgyn[ 2003, grasshoppers devastated much of the vegetation on the island and posed a real threat to the continued health of plants on Nihoa.<ref name="Litts">{{harvnb|Liittschwager|Middleton|2005|p=94}}</ref> The following year, the numbers decreased and the vegetation became lush again. The grasshoppers probably came to Nihoa by way of wind from [[Kauai]].
The north side of the island's cliffs are mostly bare, but the sloping valleys are covered with a variety of grasses and shrubs.<ref name=USFWS/> The two most common grasses on these slopes are ''Eragrosis Varabilis'' and ''Panicum torridum''.<ref name=USFWS/>
